International Takeover, Vol. 1

Having achieved superstar status with plenty of television commercials, chart-topping singles, and platinum albums to prove it, it was about time that Miami rapper Pitbull formed a Young Money-styled posse. Named after his publishing company (Pitbulls nickname), Mr. 305 is said posse with folks like Pitbull, David Rush, Qwote, and Vein rotating through the ranks on this, the posses official full-length debut. Unsurprisingly, this a big ball of poolside, tropical drink-fueled fluff with swaggering and beat-dropping both being abused like they were going out of style, but its the stuff that weekends are made of, with the added bonus of swagger king Pitbull as ringleader. With bleepy, infectious, Avicii-like production from the Crew, plus Mr. 305 leading the chant, the opening "Superstar" makes the listener feel as such, while "Girls Gone Wild" threatens to turn woofers inside-out with its throbbing bassline, and even if the chorus is horny numbskull stuff, punch lines like "I dont wear Nikes, but I still get chased" are certainly worth jacking. Remixers such as Starkillers ("All Night") and DJ Rebel ("Kiss from Those Lips") turn their cuts into prime-time, big-room stuff that could pack the floors from Madrid to Miami, and it all comes to a close with "one for the ballers" as Tick Daddy joins Pitbull for the trap music anthem "Miami Boys." David Rush and Qwote do the best job of utilizing their skills and staking their claim, while the other 305s remain in the background, but the most missed Miami buddy is Sensato, Team Pitbull member and the man behind the hilarious hit "Watagatapitusberry." Still, this posse sampler gets the party started and keeps it going, so keep it next to the flip-flops and sliced limes.