June 1, 2006 – With well-planned guest appearances and a mixture of slamming beats, R&B sounds and bilingual flavors, Pitbull ( Armando Perez) reps for the city of Miami and even holds it down for his Cuban heritage along the way.

Pitbull

There are so many different avenues that this Florida emcee travels, but the best of what he brings on his debut just won’t be enough to pay the bills. That’s why a fair share of recycled hip-hop recipes are presented as appearances are made by Lil Jon, Bun B, Fat Joe, Trick Daddy and others.

Lil Jon offers his signature interruptions on four tracks, as well as a number of production credits alongside the Diaz Brothers. This mixture makes for a sure hit among club-hoppers who are in need of a soundtrack before the party even pops off.

“305 Anthem” is a solid opening that finds Pitbull using a speedy delivery with his flows while Lil Jon offers up his basic trash-talking hook with a down south slang and adrenaline-fused demeanor. Pitbull stands out best when he stays in this sort of realm, such as on “Dirty” featuring Bun B, ”Dammit Man” and “We Don’t Care Bout Ya”. He even shows off his lyrical mind a bit on “Melting Pot” with Trick Daddy and ”Hustler’s Withdrawal.”

For the most part though, there are too many side streets for which to travel as bouncing dancehall beats with a Latin flavor appear one minute before a lazy track for the ladies shows up the next. But in saying that, there are enough elements here that have proven to
sell records in the past, and they’re still good enough to sell records today.

“She’s Freaky” reeks of a 2 Live Crew influence, while the intertwined Spanish and English vocab on club tracks like “Culo” and “Toma” cross over many genres in today’s pop market. Late night bangers like “Get On the Floor” and “That’s Nasty” are sure to have a mass appeal across all lines of urban music, but Pitbull is at his best while keeping his sound geared more towards the noncommercial hip hop crowd.

Regardless of your preference in the rap, or dirty south sound, Pitbull has somehow found a way to provide a little bit of everything to suit your needs.

Pitbull is from Miami, FL. For more Pitbull information visit the official Pitbull website.

To sample music visit the Pitbull page at myspace.com.

CD Review by J.C. Carnahan - Copyright © 2006 Florida Entertainment Scene – All Rights Reserved.