After ten albums,
Pitbull's rapping style and love of party anthems is well-known to any fan of Latin pop and/or hip-hop.
Libertad 548 is at once a continuation, and an expansion of his well-established party M.O. The cover photo is of his late father, Armando Perez, Sr., who spirited 548 Cubans to freedom during the Marielle Boatlift of 1980; hence the title. A period photo, it was captured during the mass exodus from Cuba's Mariel Harbor when more than 10,0000 Cubans and Haitians made their way to Florida's shores. This is
Pitbull's first independently released offering after more than a decade with the majors. The 15-song set (on the physical version) was co-produced by the artist with
IAmChino,
Jorge Gomez, and
Jimmy Joker. Appearing on his Mr. 305 label -- a division of his just-launched multicultural marketing agency 305 Worldwide -- it's an opening volley from the bulwarks of the rapper's wide-angle musical aesthetic, and it's more diverse than anything he's attempted before.