Gerardo - Mo' Ritmo (1991)

It's hard to imagine a rap album produced by pop singer Michael Sembello (best known for his 1983 hit "Maniac" from the film Flashdance) being terribly hardcore, and hardcore is one thing Mo' Ritmo definitely isn't. A pop-rap effort with Latin touches, Mo' Ritmo was dismissed by hip-hop's hardcore, but did well among pop audiences...Some of the songs are catchy enough -- most notably, "Fandango," "Latin Till I Die" (which employs the groove to Tito Puente's salsa classic "Oye Como Va"), and the hits "Rico Suave" and "We Want the Funk." Most of the lyrics are in English, though Gerardo also does a fair amount of rapping in Spanish. Though Gerardo's limitations are obvious, the CD has its moments. After enjoying his 15 minutes of fame with Mo' Ritmo, Gerardo was quickly forgotten by the fickle teen audience.