Pitbull

In theory, Planet Pit (the latest offering from Miami, FL-based rapper Pitbull) has a number of things going for it. The beats, which are less hip-hop and more dance-pop, are fun, slick chunks of guilty pleasure-type ear candy. Pit has enlisted a small army of guests, ranging from Enrique Iglesias to Sean Paul, to provide hooks and guest verses. Unfortunately, all the production and guest stars in the world can't cover up the fact that Pitbull is a really, really bad rapper. This isn't exactly surprising; it's not like Pitbull has ever been known for his bars, but after almost a decade in the rap game, it would be nice to see some sort of evolution. Sadly, that hasn't happened. In fact, when he drops lines like, "You the Internet, and I'm looking for a download" ("Come N Go"), it almost sounds like Pit has gotten worse with time, devolving from not good into cringe-worthy. To make matters worse, Pitbull doesn't have the personality, energy or charisma to make up for his lack of skills. While some rappers can get away with being less-than-great MCs by simply blasting the listener out of their seat with raw energy and aggression, Pitbull complements his lack of flow with a mic presence that's so laidback it's practically asleep. He may be shooting for smooth and sexy on tracks like "Rain Over Me" and "International Love," but he winds up with a sound that's more on OxyContin. Pitbull fans undoubtedly will think that his latest cocktail of bad Spanglish rap and Gino beats is a work of staggering genius, but the rest of the world will just find it painful.