The title of Pitbull’s second official full-length, El Mariel, refers to the historical Mariel boatlift, in which some 125,000 Cubans left their homeland in 1980, landing on the shores of Florida. The scene is depicted at the beginning of the most popular gangster movie of all time, but as the intro to this album states, “Go beyond about three miles and you’re now entering the infamous Havana / I know you studio gangstas vibe off the movie Scarface, but the wrong move in this place, fuck around meet the real Tony Montana.”

     But Dade County, Miami‘s Pitbull doesn’t claim to be a gangsta or a drug dealer, but instead a product of his environment. The Latin rapper opened up a lot of ears last few years, with his club smash “Culo”, plus the Ying Yang Twinz collabo, “Shake”, which found him stealing the show over a Mr. Collipark freaking of George Kranz’s “Din Daa Da” sample. With El Mariel, he attempts to create a few more of his trademark energetic club anthems, but also to show that there is some substance behind all the tire-skidding “yeeeeeeaahhoooo” warcries he lets out.

     The album jumps off with the inspiring “Miami Shit”, where he breaks down the local color over a busy beat, combining heavy drums, celebratory horns, and looming guitars. He follows with “Come See Me”, a surprising anti-drug message, where Pit confesses to a sordid past that found him having to choose between lifestyles of crime or entertainment. He carries on this sound for the bouncy “Que Tu Sabes d’Eso”, where he effortlessly rips through the track, next to collaborators Fat Joe and newcomer Sinful. The album takes a darker turn midway through, such as on “Blood Is Thicker Is Water”, where the rapper examines the micro/macro aspects of political betrayal, from wars overseas to wars outside the front door.

     But Pit’s brightest moments lie in his club tracks. He is a natural hype-man, even inspiring the most Spanish-deficient listeners into moving to his energetic anthems. The Neptunes produced “Jealouso” is the first of these, where the producers mesh tribal drums with an accordion section, but this is hardly the crown jewel. The Lil’ Jon produced “Be Quiet” is another club-thumper - sounding typical in the vein of the producer - but again, it just barely hits the mark. However, the Collipark helmed “Ay Chico” has no problem doing so, basically following the same formula is “Culo”, but it works regardless. The previously released “Bojangles (Remix)” re-teams Pitbull with The Ying Yang Twins and Lil’ Jon, again accomplishing its intended goal. The Wyclef produced / featured “Jungle Fever” is a unique late night club closer, again utilizing the motivating Latin drum sections, as Pit declares his intense desire for women of all shapes, sizes, and colors, while ‘Clef and his background vocalists lend a breezy hook.    

     Among El Mariel’s 21 tracks, the album has its share of stinkers. The first of these is “Fuego”, which is anything but, tiredly robbing the medley from Debbie Deb’s “When I Hear Music”, instead calling out fake gangsters (yawn). Further question marks appear above listeners’ heads on the unbearable “Hey You Girl”, which finds Pitbull singing to the (sampled) tune of The B-52′s “Rock Lobster”. The deeper the listener gets into the album, we find more of his trademark Latin-tinged club stuff, such as “Decarada (Dance)” and “Voodoo”, but after an hour of this stuff, all it does is bore.

     Despite being an overwhelmingly long album, Pitbull has a few brushes with greatness from time-to-time. His sound does become a bit formulaic at times, but he’s got enough good material here, as well as the potential to grow as an artist.