Pitbull Shuffles Album Release Date, Discusses New Album’s Significance

September 20th, 2006 | By Administrator

Despite the political nature of his forthcoming sophomore disc El Mariel, Cuban American rapper Pitbull said there was a personal connection to the album’s title, which is named after the infamous Cuban boatlift that relocated almost 125,000 Cubanos to Florida.

“My father was involved in that–brought boats over–so it’s all dedicated to him,” the lyricist revealed. “The album [is] just like a roller coaster ride. You know we’re gonna have Afro-Cuban music. You ain’t gonna find no Reggaeton on there, but you gon’ have Crunk music. With me, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

On the album, Pitbull also ruminates on the current state of his native Cuba, as well as the war in Iraq.

Although it was originally scheduled to hit stores Oct. 17, fans will now have to wait until Oct. 31 to hear the rapper’s latest release.

El Mariel is the follow up to his 2004 debut M.I.A.M.I.: Money Is A Major Issue, which sold more than 600,000 copies and was the biggest-selling bilingual Hip-Hop debut since Cypress Hill’s 1991 self-titled debut.

The disc spawned the singles “Culo,” “Dammit Man,” and “Toma.

Pitbull will remain active by performing Oct. 1 at the Latin Grammy Street Party in New York and appearing as one of Tony Montana’s henchmen in the upcoming video game Scarface: The World Is Yours.

Available Oct. 8, the game finds Pitbull riding alongside Montana on missions to help the crime lord recapture his fallen empire and seek vengeance on those who brought him down in the 1983 classic film, which depicts the El Mariel boatlift in the opening scenes of the movie.

In addition to his musical and gaming pursuits, Pitbull has aligned with Rosario Dawson’s Voto Latino, as part of the first text messaging voter registration campaign in U.S. history.

The MC will join the effort in encouraging fans to register to vote by texting the keyword “Pitbull” or “305″ to the number 75444.

Realizing the power of his music, Pitbull is proud to help elevate the status of his fellow Marielitos and others who feel what he is doing.

“I’m out here representing for everybody–every culture. But of course I have to try to bring mine not to the forefront, but at least educate folks on mine,” he said, adding that Hip-Hop has provided an opportunity for people to come together. “I feel that us unified is just powerful and at the same time dangerous. You know, Hip-Hop [has] come to the point [where] people don’t see color. It’s still here, but it’s not at the same time.

“That to me is a beautiful thing right there,” Pitbull continued. “‘Para todo el mundo, para todo la vino’ – ‘for everybody.’ Everybody. We all bleed and breathe at the end of the day. So it’s love.”

Gucci Mane’s Sophomore Album ‘Hard To Kill’ Reveals Rapper’s Ordeals

September 20th, 2006 | By Administrator

Atlanta-based label Big Cat Records has teamed with Tommy Boy Entertainment to release Hard To Kill, the sophomore album by Gucci Mane.

The album is the follow up to the rapper’s debut Trap House, which hit stores while the rapper was incarcerated for a shooting/murder stemming from a feud with Young Jeezy.

“With all that Gucci Mane has seen and been through in this past year, this album s hows how much he has grown lyrically,” Big Cat Records’ President, Mel Breeden, said.

Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy were involved in a dispute over the song “So Icy,” which was a hit for Gucci Mane and included on his album, Trap House, which moved over 125,000 units independently.

The two issued a series of mixtapes disses over the summer of 2005, threatening one another stemming from the dispute over the song.

The tensions culminated when Gucci Mane, born Radric David, was accused of shooting Henry “Pookie Loc” Clark III, after Clark and four other men burst into a house and threatened to attack him in May of 2005.

Clark’s body was found in a wooded area near a Decatur, GA middle school days after the shooting.

Clark was later confirmed to be an associate of Young Jeezy and his label, Corporate Thugs Entertainment.

Gucci Mane was charged with Clark’s murder in May 2005, while promoting Trap House.

Gucci Mane claimed he acted out of self-defense and in Jan. 2006, prosecutors agreed and dropped the murder charge against him.

“We named the project, Hard To Kill because of all of the drama that has surrounded Gucci’s career and he pulled through it all,” Breeden said. “Now he’s back. [He's] hard to kill! Although we had big success with ‘Icy,’ there is a lot more to the story now.”

Gucci Mane’s latest effort discusses his experiences while incarcerated, how he managed to get through the ordeal and the challenges that he still faces.

The first single from the album is another ode to Gucci Mane’s jewelry titled “My Chain.”

Hard To Kill is slated to hit stores in 2007.