PItbull - Rebelution

If they kept stats for bootys popped, shows rocked and panties dropped, Pitbull would be a first ballot hall of famer. A Miami raised Cubano whose vagina obsessed anthems have been blowing up radios for more than five years now, Mr. 305 has grown to embody an American music scene that’s increasingly club centric and infused with Latino style. Pitbull is to strip clubs what fire was to cavemen, to club bangers what Patron is to tequila. So his lyrics aren’t exactly Maya Angelou poems, so what? He’s the best at what he does, and … ...Read the full album review

Fans can also check out Pitbull's previous albums: Pitbull - Global Warming | Pitbull - Planet Pit | Pitbull - The Boatlift

If they kept stats for bootys popped, shows rocked and panties dropped, Pitbull would be a first ballot hall of famer. A Miami raised Cubano whose vagina obsessed anthems have been blowing up radios for more than five years now, Mr. 305 has grown to embody an American music scene that’s increasingly club centric and infused with Latino style. Pitbull is to strip clubs what fire was to cavemen, to club bangers what Patron is to tequila. So his lyrics aren’t exactly Maya Angelou poems, so what? He’s the best at what he does, and you have to respect a man like that.

In fact, Pitbull is far more intelligent than doubters may give him credit for (as he so aptly displayed on this interview with our own DJ Z). More than just a hit-making machine, Pitbull is also determined to master the business side of the game, a mission that’s culminated in the release of his fourth album Rebelution, the first drop under his own Mr. 305 Inc. imprint. Despite its revolutionary name, Rebelution is Pit’s most predictable album to date, a work that delivers exactly what fans expect and not much else – which is as much a testament to his admirable consistency as a criticism.

What do fans expect from Mr. 305? They expect tracks like Krazy, a Lil Jon assisted energizer that provided Pit with the album’s first hit. Krazy isn’t the kind of track that gets your name on a Grammy ballot, but I’ve seen more than a couple cars go appropriately insane to Krazy during traffic jams, and that’s all that really matters. (Speaking of insane, am I nuts or does the beginning of Krazy sound like Last Night?) Even better are Pit’s two more recent hits, the smash I Know You Want Me and the absolutely banging Hotel Room Service, a track that seems primarily designed to find out if radio would censor the “Oh you the healthy type? Well here go some egg whites” line. I was disappointed to find the addictive Blanco didn’t make it onto the album, but there’s still more than enough material on Rebelution to inspire a booty dropping frenzy. Consider me a satisfied customer. 

Pitbull does occasionally color outside the panty lines on Rebelution, starting with the autobiographical Triumph, a track that’s a must listen for anyone who wants to understand the pressures that formed the diamond-laced Pitbull. Plus, you can never go wrong with an It Takes Two sample (insert flashback to middle school dance here). More musically adventurous is the minimalist Across the World, a sparsely populated cut featuring vocal assistance from B.o.B., and the rock-edged Can’t Stop Me Now, a track that sounds like a reggaeton version of the White Stripes. By far the most notable track on the album is the heartfelt Daddy’s Little Girl, an emotionally charged ode to abused and fatherless girls that proves Pitbull is far more than a breathing machine for his penis. Rebelution is disappointingly less political than previous albums El Mariel and The Boatlift, but moments like Daddy’s Little Girl and Across the World give the album just enough life to keep it from sounding monotonous. 

Unfortunately there’s a significant amount of filler on Rebelution. Women and the glorious things they can do is an endlessly fascinating source of conversation, but the topic doesn’t always make for good music. Just take Girls, a track built around a stale “I’m tri-sexual, I’ll try anything” joke that sounds formulaic at best, or the annoyingly repetitive Shut It Down, a heavily electronic song featuring a mailed in hook from Akon. On other people’s albums these would be perfectly acceptable offerings, but from Pitbull, the king of the club anthem, they’re just not up to par. Pit’s obviously a gifted musician, he can after all drop a rowdy fan with a right hook onstage without missing a beat, and if I expect more from the man it’s only because he’s set his own bar so high. Rebelution won’t go down as Pitbull’s best album, but it’s still easily dope enough to make any challengers think twice before stepping up to the king. So rejoice strip clubs and dance floors! You’re lord and savior has returned! Long live Mr. 305!

Listen to More: Pitbull     Written by Nathan S.