Ever since the release of his first album M.I.A.M.I. in 2004, Pitbull has thrilled fans, disgusted critics and dominated the Latin American music scene. He has recently found a mainstream audience with hit singles such as "The Anthem" with Lil' Jon and I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho).
Pitbull Samples Songs
Much of Pitbull’s success relies on sampling other songs and adding his own lyrics. 2008’s “The Anthem” samples 2007’s “Calabria” by Enur. “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” samples the song 75 Brazil Street” by Nicola Fasano vs Pat Ritch. This song, in turn, samples “Street Player” by Chicago. The new hit “Hotel Room” samples “Push The Feeling On” by Nightcrawlers.
Sexy Lyrics
Most of Pitbull’s songs are about getting laid and partying. Some thinks his lyrics are aimed toward the lowest denominator of music listeners while others welcome his crude, sexual lyrics as a form of escapism.
“I see you with your heels, sexy ass shirt…I see you with your man, you threw me a smirk," Pitbull sings in “The Anthem.” In “Ay Chico,” Pitbull cues, “Bend over girl, show me what you’re working with.” In “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” he crudely declares, “Mami got an ass like a donkey with a monkey.”
Catchy Songs
Pitbull’s songs are tailor made and produced so they can’t get out of your head. Each song has the trademark sample of an old song mixed with a new beat. Though Pitbull’s lyrics may be offensive to some, they are easy to remember whether they are sung in English or Spanish (his songs are often a mixture of both languages).
Explicit Music Videos
Pitbull's music videos would make Madonna and Prince blush. He kisses, strips, flirts, feels, and does everything but actually have sex. In "Hotel Room Service," Pitbull is seen in the elevator feeling up a sleazy hotel hostess. This is similar to his other videos in which he wears a pimp suit while his female costars usually wear almost nothing.
Some have accused Pitbull's videos of being extremely sexist. However, many others just think they are sexy. "I'm a 45-year old conservative woman but certainly wouldn't mind being one of the girls in his videos," a fan says in a Youtube comment.
Love him or loathe him, Pitbull's formula has apparently caught on. Both “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) and “Hotel Room Service” sit inside the top 15 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. His upcoming album, Rebelution, is expected to outsell Whitney Houston’s new album that comes out the same week.
