‘Mr. Worldwide,’ better known as Pitbull, assisted by Stereotypes, E-40, and Abraham Mateo, returns with a fun and groovy, if corny single, “Jungle.”

Hmm, what does one say about Pitbull? Personally, he has his moments and has his misses.  Back in 2004, he was tougher, at least on the likes of “Dammit Man.” However, over the years, he grew more and more poppy.  And with more poppy-ness, comes more corniness and schmaltz.  To quote Jacob Sartorius (of all people), he’s “hit or miss.” To quote Guns N Roses, Welcome to the “Jungle.” E-40 and Abraham Mateo join him for the experience.

Expectedly, “Jungle” is amped up from the start.  The groove is ferocious and infectious – thanks to The Stereotypes.  Ultimately, the production work is the chief selling point of “Jungle.” It’s unique, standing out from the jump.  Still, there’s the matter of the artists’ performances and the lyrics/rhymes. Pitbull (aka “Mr. Worldwide”) is his normal, corny self, shouting out to his ‘co-stars’ and the ladies from the jump.  After vocals by Abraham Mateo, he drops his bars, which are expectedly sexual.  While the lyrics are meh or okay at best, his flow remains intact. E-40 echoes the sexual sentiment on his verse, infusing the Bay Area goodness.  It’s not his best verse, but his idiosyncratic personality remains intact, as well as plenty of iterations of “hella.”

Final Thoughts

So, how does “Jungle” stack up? It’s corny, but fun and groovy.  This is a single made for the Top-40, not for the history books.  By “history books” I mean this is unlikely to be remembered in the future as a ‘classic.’ It’s a temporary bundle of fun, driven by great production work, but the sweetness doesn’t last.

Pitbull • Greatest Hits • RCA • Release: 12.1.17 

Photo Credit: RCA