Pitbull Prepares Sophomore Album, Spanish Only Album

Miami rapper Pitbull is preparing to release his sophomore album El Mariel.The new release is named after the infamous Cuban boatlift that relocated almost 125,000 Cubanos to Florida. According to Pitbull, El Mariel will offer a political perspective from the rapper, who addresses the current state of his native Cuba, as well as the war […]

Miami rapper Pitbull

is preparing to release his sophomore album El Mariel.The

new release is named after the infamous Cuban boatlift that relocated almost 125,000

Cubanos to Florida. According to Pitbull, El Mariel will offer a political perspective

from the rapper, who addresses the current state of his native Cuba, as well as

the war in Iraq.“They

have this misconception about Pit,” the 25-year-old MC said. “They’ll

say, ‘He’s just this Latin rapper, he’s a reggaeton act, he’s crunk.’ They

don’t know what to say about me. [After El Mariel] a lot of folks are gonna

start saying, ‘You gotta watch out for that boy Pit.’"“Some

[Marielitos] yes were criminals, some came from a negative background but you

have those who became politicians, lawyers, judges, and doctors, you name it,”

continued Pitbull, who sees his musical rise as following the example set by those

who arrived in the boatlift. "Now that I got my foot in the door it’s time

to take opportunities like the Marielitos did."El

Mariel is the follow up to Pitbull’s debut album M.I.A.M.I.: Money

Is A Major Issue.

The

2004 release, which sold more than 600,000 copies, was the biggest-selling bilingual

hip-hop debut since Cypress Hill’s 1991 self-titled debut, spawning the singles

“Culo,” “D##### Man,” and “Toma.”Although,

El Mariel is slated to hit stores Oct. 17, fans won’t have to wait

long for another Pitbull as the rapper will follow with the release of his first

full-length Spanish only album, Armando.“[Armando]

is an Afro-Cuban based project. A lot of energy and just a different movement,”

explained Pitbull, who revealed the album will contain production from Lil Jon,

Orishas, the Diaz Brothers, Jim Jonsin, Echo from Puerto Rico and Mr. Collipark.

“I

would love for me and Jon to have a number one record on the Latin charts,"

Pitbull said. "It would be me bringing him over just like he brought me over

to his side.” Armando

is scheduled to be released in early 2007.