Pitbull Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
On the mistitled Rebelution, rapper Pitbull takes a cue from his homeboy Flo Rida and dives headfirst into the lucrative world of ultra-slick Miami club-rap. The only stories of boat people found here are the kind about people who own yachts, and while the Cuban-American's songs of freedom are sorely missed, nothing in the man's back catalog could fill a dancefloor as quickly as the tech-house stunner "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)." Same could said of the futuristic booty music "Krazy" with Lil Jon or "Hotel Room Service," which triple mashes an old-school hit ("Rapper's Delight"), a 2 Live Crew classic ("One and One"), plus a house music giant (the Nightcrawlers' "Push the Feeling On"). Problem is, when it doesn't work, it is borderline obnoxious, worst being when "Girl" beats a trashy, groan-worthy joke into the ground (heard repeatedly is "Mama, you bi?" "No, I'm 'tri.' I'll try anything"). The only relief comes in the form of the overgrown interlude "Dope Ball" ("The law is like referees/They can get bought") plus the two calmer closing tracks that slowly ease the listener down. Even if it's not the most persuasive mood album, once the party has kicked into high gear Rebelution will certainly keep it going. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On his 2007 effort The Boatlift, Pitbull's love of club tracks and anthemic party tunes is once again tempered by some serious material, and once again the album's title references the early-'80s mass exodus of Cuban people from their homeland. This is the same formula that was used for his 2006 album, El Mariel, but here the measurements are off, with too much attention being paid to production and hooks while talent and personality get short shrift. Tracks like the appropriately titled "The Anthem" and "Sticky Icky," with Lil Jon and Jim Jones, are infectious, the exciting "Midnight" features Euro-trance keyboards and singer Casely as a worthy Justin Timberlake replacement, plus there's a handful of those Latin rap meets crunk numbers that are so identifiable as Pitbull's. These deep Miami tracks are complemented by some street level interludes and freestyles that are rich with wit, but The Boatlift dies on the slow tracks with "Secret Admirer" being too sugary to take and "My Life" dropping embarrassing bombs like "sometimes I feel/all I can give you is sex/I'm sorry." Get past these plaintive and uninspired tales of how heartbreaking the jet-set lifestyle is and you're left with enough gloss and polish to consider The Boatlift a fun floor-filler, but just not up to Pitbull's usual standards. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The title of rapper Pitbull's sophomore release refers to El Muriel port, a port where 125,000 Cubans left their homeland and traveled to Florida in 1980. Castro called them "trash" and it's exciting to think that with the controversial leader's health in question as Pitbull releases his second album, the Lil' Chico based in the M.I.A.M.I. is going to blow up the Cuban-American issue like never before. On the great "Miami S***" he brilliantly speaks to the struggle that city and its people endure with a great mix of venom and pride. While there are other moments that prove the man has evolved by leaps and bounds since his 2004 debut, the political angle of the album shouldn't be oversold. Pre-release info from TVT made it sound like this is Pitbull's London Calling or his It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, but there's only a bit of revolution among all this party music. Make that glorious, vibrant, exciting, and always infectious party music. "Bend over girl/Show me what you're working with" from the highlight "Ay Chico (Lengua Afuera)" doesn't seem either pro- or anti-Castro, and it's doubtful guest stars like Rick Ross, Trick Daddy, Ying Yang Twins, and dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel are going to be addressing the plight of the "boat people" anytime soon. Still, the convincing and skilled Pitbull makes it all hang together, thanks in part to the long list of collaborations he's already checked off, but mostly because his delivery and words are sure and steady. Plus, coming up with a short list of highlights is hard, because just like his debut and the remix/loose-ends compilation Money Is Still a Major Issue, El Mariel sounds like a whirlwind mixtape of his best tracks from the recent past, and as you near the end of the album, it actually is said mixtape. While it's hard to deny the more mature Pitbull of "Miami S***," "Raindrops," and "Blood Is Thicker Than Water" is something that needs to be explored further, it's just as hard to deny the rump-shaking, trunk-rumbling stunners he drops all over the album. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For a label that is based in New York City, TVT has certainly been a major supporter of Southern rap. Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, the Ying Yang Twins, Kingpin Skinny Pimp, and Jacki-O are among the Dirty South rappers who have recorded for TVT in the '90s or 2000s, and the name Pitbull can be added to that list. Armando Perez, aka Pitbull, brings a slight Latin flavor to hip-hop's Dirty South school on M.I.A.M.I., his first album for TVT. The Cuban-American MC doesn't inundate listeners with Latin influences; there are plenty of hip-hoppers in Latin America and Spain who rap in Spanish exclusively, but the vast majority of Pitbull's lyrics are in English. Nonetheless, Pitbull does throw in some Spanish lyrics here and there, and some of his grooves successfully unite crunk and the Dirty South with elements of the high-tech club music that has been coming out of Latin America. M.I.A.M.I. is, to a large degree, a party album; Pitbull is undeniably club-friendly on R-rated jams like "She's Freaky," "Get on the Floor," "Shake It Up," and "Culo" (which features Lil Jon and blends crunk with the Latin reggaeton style). But M.I.A.M.I. isn't just an endless ode to sex, tight skirts, and shapely booties; Pitbull tackles some social issues as well, especially on "Dirty" and "Hustler's Withdrawal" (which describes the dangers of drug dealing). By 2004 standards, Pitbull's lyrics aren't revolutionary; he is hardly the first MC to rap about drugs and thug life or sex and women. Even so, his willingness to combine Latin and Dirty South elements makes M.I.A.M.I. one of the more memorable and interesting Southern rap discs of 2004. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
