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There's no denying the power of Florida in today's rap game. 2 Live Crew may have been the original kings of Miami, but today's current crop of up-and-comers owe a debt to the second generation of hustlers who helped up the wattage on the spotlight that's currently burning bright over the city. Cuban-born, Miami-bred, hot-spitter Pitbull is definitely one of the leaders of this second wave of rappers who solidified the city's status as the super-southern glamor capital.

Having recently repped for M.I.YayYo with his fourth studio album, The Boatlift, Pitbull is about to take his 305 swagger on a cross country tour with fellow Latin hitman Baby Bash. We were lucky enough to catch up with the rapper before he hit the road, and he talked to us about everything from his international mindset to his utter disdain for Fidel Castro.

First off, I've been bumping the album. It's hot, and I just wanted to say congratulations on that.

Thank you very much, I appreciate it man.

The production on your records has always stood out, but on this one, I feel like you've really got some bangers that are going to tear the clubs up. Did you make a conscious decision to do that?

Yes, I did. I look at it like, the people need to be out dancing right now. There's so much negativity on the television, and everything around the world, that they just want to escape. So I said, "I know I've got to put some club bangers on here."

Sometimes people try and pigeonhole you just in Latin music, especially reggaeton. Personally, "The Anthem" was the only song on there that I heard which touched on that. Did you try and break outside that box a little bit?

I mean, they've always tried to put me in a box, but like you said I don't like to be categorized in those genres. So "The Anthem," to me, is more like a house, techno-type record, even though it's got a real deep, how should I say, catchy Spanish hook on it. I'm definitely trying to break out of that box and create something. I feel like I've always had my own movement, and now I'm just proving it.

I heard a lot of Miami Bass sounds too. That style was really hot back in the day, then sort of cooled off, but now everybody is on that tip again. Do you feel Miami bass is getting its due?

Definitely, but I've always used it on all my albums. I've always used a Miami bass in it. You know that 808 it carries on. But, for me that bass music gives you energy for the clubs—shit that just makes people lose their mind. It only takes a couple of times hearing the record to be like, "Damn I like that shit," and make them react. "The Anthem" is already taking off in radio and in the clubs worldwide, but I feel like "Midnight" is going to be another big record off the album, and "Ying and the Yang" could a hood record, a big hood record for the clubs—not to mention "Dukey" with Trick Daddy and Fabo.

I was doing some research on Miami Bass and I found out that you used to run with Luther Campbell back in the day, and he helped put you on.

I was signed to Luke before. I learned a lot about the game dealing with Luke. When it comes to the whole Miami Bass movement I said, "Damn, if I want to be one of the big boys in Miami, I've got to mess with the king of Miami." So that was basically how that came about.

You're definitely one of the leaders of the 305 right now. In all the songs across the country people are always talking about South Beach. Trick Daddy has gotten put on, Scott Storch kills it and Rick Ross is out there. Do you really think that you had a hand in all this? Not that Miami was ever cold, but Miami is super hot right now.

Trick definitely had his movement with Miami, that's why we call him Trick the "Mayor of Dade County." But, I feel like, I say it as a matter of fact in one of the Too Latin for Hip Hop, Too Hip Hop for Latin little freestyles I threw on there, "Luke, Trick there's a start/ but that little chico Pitbull he was the spark/ Now these labels coming down here snatching up rappers two at the time like Noah's arc/nigger who would have thought." Know what I'm saying? So, I feel like they put the spotlight on Miami once my movement went, then came Rick Ross. Now you got Flo Rida. You got C-Ride that's about to drop too. There's a movement down there. I'm definitely blessed, and it's a blessing to be at the forefront of it.

In other places, when a lot people start getting big, and start getting put on, there's a little bit of the back biting. It doesn't seem like that in Miami. It seems like the people are all bigging each other up. Do you feel like it is kind of fam down there?

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