Music Review: Pitbull & Danny Mercer "Outta Nowhere"

Pitbull & Danny Mercer

Outta Nowhere

Album: Global Warming

Year:  2013

           Whether wealthy or strapped, Pitbull believes living shouldn’t be a burden in the  complacent “Outta Nowhere.”

             The chorus starts the song, setting a whimpering tone.  Danny Mercer says one day life becomes unbearable. It could happen while putting the silverware in the dishwasher. A person could look out their kitchen window, watch the trees sway in the breeze and began to cry, numb from the hardships. He wonders why people have to struggle, just getting by in their lives. Even with money, he has to deal with disappointment and failure. Any moment it could all slip away. (“Sooner or later that spark just disappears/Outta nowhere, outta nowhere/Every time one of us ending up in tears/Outta nowhere, outta nowhere/Is it good that we hurt every day?/It this worth all the pain that we feel inside?/Am I too blind to see this is happening to me/Outta nowhere, outta nowhere.”)

          It’s one party to another, often in different countries.  He drinks until his thoughts are fuzzy, spinning in the place around him. People know him, call out his name but he has no idea who they are. He thinks of how he grew up poor, helping his mom trying to scrape up money and going without. Death could be at anytime. He could be 45, sitting home and have a heart attack. He could be traveling to perform and get into an accident. What does it matter what he does now? Each day he gets closer to his death day. In the meantime, he wants to protect his assets. He assesses the people who are with him, trying to figure out their angle and what plans they could possibly have.  Becoming a superstar has taken over his life. He’s no longer a person but a brand. Paparazzi trail him everywhere he goes, snapping photos of him as he shops as he spends some alone time with family. His mother taught him to watch out for himself and prepare to claw at those pulling him down, scratching and biting at them until they let go.  Rapping had been his outlet and something he would do, even if he wasn’t getting paid millions. His moment will pass eventually but his life will continue.  People can hear his music on the radio on the way to work and be free of stress for three minutes. (“I live the fast life, going nowhere fast/I see my past life and politely pass/But I’m already planning on doing it big/For my life after death, I live my life after death/Baby what you think our train is for?/That’s to properly prepare you for war/So I keep you on your toes/
So you could look out for your friends that are really foes/This career try to swallow us
Paparazzi try to follow us/I’m everything that my mama was/Rider, survivor, a *********** fighter/Thank god for this rapping shit/Forget the cash if I’d happen this/No more life, that’s for the birds/I work hard so you never say these words.”)

               The chorus is sung again.

            He reads his reviews in the major news outlets and tosses them in the trash.  They may know his lyrics but they don’t know who he’s about. He dares them to write about his personal life, giving a detailed explanation for everything he does. He wants to make enough money to be set, allowing him to invest in a NBA or NFL team. He says people can do anything they want. If other people start to cause trouble, all they have to do is fight back. Being ordinary shouldn’t be an aspiration. (“The critics going nowhere (nowhere)/Thinking that they know me like the Bible, oh hell no/But they don’t understand me all well/Snitching is a sport now so please do tell/The world how I raise hell/Yea, so the clown when I skip jail/I’m just tryina own teams, beat it playa/And dance on the globe like Fred Astaire/
The world is ours baby/It’s just waiting for us so don’t be late/And we could both aim for the sky/And shoot for the stars and call it a day/Now you know that I know that we know/If the world wants war cock back and reload/A normal life, that’s for the birds/I work hard, so you never say these words.”)

             The chorus is sung again to close the single.

            Mercer’s blubbering, swollen vocals are feeble, picking at whatever crumbs Pitbull throws his away. He’s grateful for just a passing glance. Pitbull can explain the meaning of life and there is no else he would ever turn to for advice.

            Pitbull’s insolent, removed vocals stoop from the his self-imposed pedestal, deigning to speak to those worthy of hearing his words of comfort. No one can challenge him, either.In his mind, everyone should want to be a celebrity and famous. Otherwise, life itself doesn’t matter.

           The righteous “Outta Nowhere”  has gone blind from being in its own spotlight for so long.