Listen, I used to love Pitbull. Culo? Hot. Toma? Badass. I remember when that awful show “South Beach” was on, those tracks had just come out and nothing conveyed Miami’s crazy nightlife better than those two songs. And then Oliver (aka Gucci Vuitton), co-owner of Bodega, had this fantastic blend of Toma over a drum-line. And then I used the “Culo” acappella over a house track to great effect.
And then Pitbull started to suck. It started with Krazy. The rhymes were terrible, I wasn’t totally in love with the drums, and the rhymes were terrible. And then Calle Ocho happened. And it was also a disappointment. The beat was so good, and the chorus was decent, but once again the verses were so, so, so terrible. I had just about given up on him. While Miami’s other hometown hero Rick Ross had gotten better (We Shinin’, for instance), Pitbull had totally regressed. Well, except for that remix of the Rick Ross/Avery Storm track “Here I am.” That one was okay. Whatever, not the point.
And then I heard “Hotel Room Service.” The beat, essentially a re-edit of Night Crawlers’ “Push The Feeling On,” was hot, and when I listened I didn’t hate the lyrics. That was a shocker.
And then I listened again. And I liked it more. This song is fantastic, and I can only hope he continues to push in this direction further. Because if I have to hear “Krazy” once more, I will cut off my ears. Or smash the iPod responsible.