February 07, 2006 @ 4:52 pm

Don Omar

Angie Romero

The first time you meet Don Omar, there’s a certain trepidation. Are the rumors concerning reggaeton’s alleged bad boy true? He’s more of an enigma than a real man. There’s the bizarre rumor that he died a quiet and mysterious death while on tour in Italy last August. There are also the rumors of beef with his peers, most notably Daddy Yankee. Then there’s his past drama with the Puerto Rican drug enforcement agencies. Yet when you approach William Omar Landrón, 28, interrupting his lunch, he gets up to greet you with a warm smile and a polite kiss on the cheek. Perhaps in this dim, inconspicuous eatery, where few are likely to recognize him, he’ll be himself. “Some people say Don Omar is arrogant,” he admits. “But it’s not true. I know where I came from, and I’m grateful for where I’m at. I prayed then, and I still pray every night. God is really important in my life.” Important is an understatement. God, he claims, was his savior. “I was problematic growing up,” confesses Omar, the eldest of three children reared in the crime-ridden barrioof Villa Palmera. “By around age 16, I started to lose all those close to me. That’s when I got out.” Then in 1996, he sought refuge in a church, where, with his signature style of crooning over a reggaeton beat, he earned the nickname Don, as in The Godfather’s Don Corleone. In 2000, his writing and singing caught the attention of veteran artist/producer Héctor El Bambino (now known as Héctor the Father). “When we recorded The Last Don[his 350,000-unit-selling debut], the feeling he put in the studio gave you goose bumps,” recalls Héctor. “I never doubted he would become the artist he is now.” And if the Sixth Annual Latin Grammy Awards this past November are any indication, Don Omar might be the hottest reggaeton artist around. He was the only reggaeton artist to give a solo performance that night. On his most recent album, Don Omar da Hitman Presents Reggaeton Latino, a collection of hits that includes the anthemic “Reggaeton Latino,” he’s singing alongside Fabolous, Fat Joe, N.O.R.E., Ja Rule, and Jennifer Lopez. His next album, due later this year, promises to be even more richly varied. “Up until now, I haven’t been able to stop the train,” says Omar of his career trajectory. “Not that I’ve wanted to. I like driving it. And I think I’ll be around for a good while.” Somehow, that doesn’t sound so much like arrogance as it does plain old faith. Do you want VIBE delivered to your home or office? CLICK HERE.

Article tags: Don Omar, Da Hit Man, Reggaeton Latino, Dale Don Dale, Da Hit Man Presents Reggaeton Latino 

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