El Mariel
El Mariel is the second studio album by Cuban-American rapper Pitbull. It features production from Lil Jon, Diaz Brothers, DJ Khaled, Mr. Collipark, The Neptunes and Jim Jonsin. It includes guest appearances from Lil Jon, Twista and Trick Daddy. A Spanish-language version of the album was released on October 31, 2006 featuring the three singles from El Mariel, along with twelve Spanish-only tracks. The album leaked onto the internet on October 27, 2006.
El Mariel debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 17, selling 48,000 copies that week; this was also the album's peak on the chart. The album has sold over a total of 214,000 copies.
Critical reception
David Jeffries of AllMusic noted that the album's political aspect is 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." 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." Agustin Gurza of the Los Angeles Times praised the album 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."
