El Mariel

El Mariel is the second studio album by Cuban-American rapper Pitbull. It was released on October 31, 2006 through TVT Records and Bad Boy Latino. The album was leaked onto the internet on October 27, 2006, four days before the album was released. The album features production from Lil Jon, Diaz Brothers, DJ Khaled, Mr. Collipark, The Neptunes and Jim Jonsin. It also includes guest appearances from Lil Jon, Twista and Trick Daddy. A Spanish-language version of the album was also released on October 31, 2006 featuring the three singles from the album, along with twelve Spanish-only tracks.

El Mariel
Studio album by
Pitbull
ReleasedOctober 31, 2006
Recorded2005–06
Genre
Length70:55
Label
Producer
Pitbull chronology
Money Is Still a Major Issue
(2005)		 El Mariel
(2006)		 The Boatlift
(2007)
Singles from El Mariel
  1. "Bojangles"
    Released: May 2, 2006
  2. "Ay Chico (Lengua Afuera)"
    Released: October 30, 2006
  3. "Dime"
    Released: October 30, 2006
  4. "Be Quiet"
    Released: October 31, 2006

El Mariel was supported by four singles: "Bojangles", "Ay Chico (Lengua Afuera)", "Dime" and "Be Quiet". The album received generally mixed reviews from music critics and was a moderate commercial success. It debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 48,000 copies in its first week.[1]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
HipHopDX[3]
Los Angeles Times[4]
RapReviews8.0/10[5]
Rolling Stone[6]
The Situation4/5[7]
Stylus MagazineB–[8]
XXL (L)[9]

AllMusic's David Jeffries noted that the album's political aspects are misleading, but praised it for having catchy party music mixed with the serious tracks and Pitbull for showing a little depth in his lyrical repertoire, concluding that, "While it's hard to deny the more mature Pitbull is something that needs to be explored further, it's just as hard to deny the rump-shaking, trunk-rumbling stunners he drops all over the album."[2] Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews praised the album's reggaeton sound and Pitbull's improvement as a lyricist and musician, concluding that, "Hip-Hop in South Florida is now more universal than ever thanks in large part to Pitbull's infectious flow and machismo."[5] Agustin Gurza of the Los Angeles Times praised the record for conveying an artist that carries multiple dimensions and facets of a lived life, saying "we meet a Pitbull who is even likable and vulnerable."[4]

Jesús Triviño Alarcon of XXL, while praising the tracks that involved serious topics, felt the record was overhauled by a majority of the nondescript dance club tracks, concluding that "[T]he music may knock in the club, but Pitbull’s lack of diversity is a major issue."[9] Evan Serpick of Rolling Stone was critical of Pitbull's flow throughout the album, saying that it works in the party tracks but the slower ones bring out lyricism that's limp, concluding that "his hot flow and ice-cold lyrics are better served in the club."[6] Andres Tardio of HipHopDX said he saw potential based on the record's title and its serious tracks but felt it was wasted opportunity because of Pitbull not being able to stay on topic.[3]

Commercial performance

El Mariel debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 48,000 copies in its first week.[10] The album also debuted at number one on the US Top Independent Albums chart, becoming Pitbull's second number one on the chart.[11] As of April 2007, the album has sold over a total of 214,000 copies in the United States.[12]

Track listing
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Intro"Donavan Knowles1:56
2."Miami Shit"Gorilla Tek3:22
3."Come See Me"DJ Toomp3:07
4."Jealouso"Pharrell Williams4:03
5."Qué Tú Sabes D'eso" (featuring Fat Joe and Sinful)Oak, Andrew "Papa Justifi" Wansel4:03
6."Fademaster Skit" 0:37
7."Be Quiet"Shakespeare3:22
8."Ay Chico (Lengua Afuera)"Mr. Collipark3:25
9."Fuego"Mr. Collipark3:49
10."Rock Bottom" (featuring Bun B and Cubo)Taz Arnold4:31
11."Amanda Diva Skit" 0:41
12."Blood Is Thicker Than Water" (featuring Redd Eyezz)Cip4:05
13."Jungle Fever" (featuring Wyclef Jean and Oobie)DJ Rob-N, Gamboa4:02
14."Hey You Girl"Jim Jonsin3:46
15."Raindrops" (featuring Anjuli Stars)Diaz Brothers4:15
16."Voodoo"Lil Jon3:47
17."Descarada (Dance)" (featuring Vybz Kartel)Don "Vendetta" Bennett3:02
18."Dime (Remix)" (featuring Ken-Y)Lil Jon5:07
19."Bojangles (Remix)" (featuring Lil Jon and Ying Yang Twins)Lil Jon4:29
20."Born-N-Raised" (DJ Khaled featuring Pitbull, Trick Daddy, and Rick Ross)The Runners4:16
21."Outro" 1:10
Total length:70:55
iTunes bonus track
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
22."We Run This"Ervin EP Pope3:29

Sample credits

  • "Come See Me" contains a sample of "La Murga" by Willie Colón featuring Hector Lavoe
  • "Fuego" contains a sample of "When I Hear Music" by Debbie Deb
  • "Hey You Girl" contains a sample of "Rock Lobster" by The B-52's

Best Buy Bonus DVD
  1. The Making of El Mariel-Directed By Bobby Viera
  2. Bojangles (Remix) Video
  3. Bojangles Live Performance Video-Directed By Bobby Viera
  4. La Esquina: Trading Races

Charts

References
  1. Hasty, Katie (November 8, 2006). "'Montana' Zooms By Manilow For Second Week At No. 1". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 10, 2007.
  2. Jeffries, David. "El Mariel - Pitbull". AllMusic. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  3. Tardio, Andres (November 2, 2006). "Pitbull - El Mariel". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Archived from the original on November 7, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  4. Gurza, Agustin (November 7, 2006). "Untainled 'Love'". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  5. Juon, Steve 'Flash' (November 7, 2006). "Pitbull :: El Mariel :: TVT Records". RapReviews. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  6. Serpick, Evan (November 13, 2006). "El Mariel : Pitbull : Review". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on December 3, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  7. Tang, Melisa. "Pitbull - El Mariel". The Situation. Archived from the original on February 24, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  8. Shipley, Al (November 16, 2006). "Pitbull - El Mariel - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  9. Alarcon, Jesús Triviño (November 2, 2006). "Pitbull El Mariel". XXL. Townsquare Media. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  10. Hasty, Katie (November 8, 2006). "'Montana' Zooms By Manilow For Second Week At No. 1". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 10, 2007.
  12. Cohen, Jonathan (October 12, 2007). "Pitbull's 'Boatlift' Setting Sail In November". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  13. HDD Charts/Album Sales Archived September 15, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  14. "Original Hits - Pitbull | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
  15. "2007 Year-End Charts: Independent Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
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