Armando Christian Pérez (born: January 15, 1981), better known as Pitbull is a Cuban-American rapper. Armando is also known for the Mr. Worldwide meme. Armando chose the name Pitbull based off pitbull terriers and the fact that they fight a lot and are “too stupid to lose.”
History[]
Early Years[]
In 1981, Armando was born into a Puerto Rican-American family in Miami, Florida. At an early age, Armando was exposed to his parents’ drug addictions with his mother breastfeeding him while taking cocaine.[1] Eventually, his parents split apart and had to live with his mother and then had to live with a foster family in Georgia.[2]
Around the age of thirteen, Armando fell in love with music. He was heavily influenced by other hip hop stars such as Public Enemy and N.W.A. At age seventeen, Armando was kicked out of his mother’s home due to dealing drugs. According to him, this was a wake up call for him that helped him become as popular as he had become.[3]
Rise to Fame[]
While in high school, Armando began developing with his rapping skills and in 2004, released his debut album M.I.A.M.I which instantly brought him to success with the album being in the top 15 of the album chart. Culo, which is a single in the album, reached top 40 of the U.S. pop chart. His later albums also gained him success with many of his albums and singles reaching top 10. His success around the world as a pop star earned him the name “Mr. Worldwide” which is also a known meme.[2]
Career[]
Pitbull has released twelve studio albums, four compilation albums, one soundtrack album, four official mixtapes, over 300 singles (including features), over 1,000 songs (in total), and over 200 music videos.
In 2004, Pitbull dropped his first official full-length album, M.I.A.M.I. (an abbreviation fans quickly learned stands for "Money Is A Major Issue"), on TVT Records. The album hit the ground running, reaching number 14 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US.[4]
Leading the charge was the single "Culo," which became Pitbull's first track to break onto the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 32. M.I.A.M.I. kept the momentum going with four more singles: "That's Nasty," "Back Up," "Toma," and "Dammit Man." These tracks solidified Pitbull's signature sound and Miami-influenced style, laying the foundation for his future success.
This debut album was just the beginning for Mr. Worldwide. In 2005, a remix album titled Money Is Still a Major Issue brought fresh spins on M.I.A.M.I. favorites. The following year, in 2006, Pitbull returned with his sophomore effort, El Mariel, which spawned another set of hit singles, including "Bojangles" and the fan-favorite "Ay Chico (Lengua Afuera)."
Pitbull's third album, The Boatlift, set sail in November 2007. This release marked a shift for Mr. Worldwide, becoming his first to find commercial success outside the US.[5]
The lead single, "The Anthem," became his biggest hit since "Culo," hitting number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating European charts. Fueled by this success, The Boatlift became Pitbull's first international hit album.
Three more singles followed: "Secret Admirer," "Go Girl," and "Sticky Icky." The album also featured collaborations with rap veterans like Twista and Lil Jon, alongside rising star Jason Derulo.
The Boatlift solidified Pitbull's position as a major player, not just in the US but globally. It proved his music could resonate with audiences worldwide.
Pitbull Starring in Rebelution, Pitbull's fourth studio album, was released on September 1, 2009. It was his first album to be released by the Polo Grounds/J Records label, following his signing to the label through his own imprint, Mr. 305.[6] The album was preceded by three singles: "Krazy", "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)", and "Hotel Room Service". "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" became Pitbull's breakout into international success, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top ten in several European territories. "Hotel Room Service" and the subsequent single "Shut It Down" also achieved significant commercial success. The album also spawned a fifth single, "Can't Stop Me Now". Armando, Pitbull's fifth studio album, was released on November 2, 2010. It was his first primarily Spanish album and spawned four singles: "Watagatapitusberry", "Maldito Alcohol", "Bon, Bon", and "Tu Cuerpo". "Guantanamera (She's Hot)" would be reissued nearly fifteen years later on Trackhouse (Daytona 500 Edition) given a spike in popularity as a result of a TikTok trend.[7]
Pitbull blasted off to his biggest commercial success yet with his sixth album, Planet Pit, in 2011. It landed at number seven on the Billboard 200 chart in the US and cracked the top ten in multiple countries around the world.
This album launch was a double-whammy with two pre-release singles that became international anthems: "Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)" and "Give Me Everything." The latter track became Pitbull's first ever number one hit in both the US and the UK, solidifying his place as a global superstar.
Planet Pit kept the party going with more successful singles like "Rain Over Me" and "International Love." This era also saw Pitbull contribute "Back in Time" to the Men in Black 3 soundtrack, which climbed to number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100.
The momentum continued with Pitbull's next album, Global Warming, in 2012, featuring hits like "Get It Started," "Don't Stop the Party," and the massive collaboration with Christina Aguilera, "Feel This Moment."
This period cemented Pitbull's status as a hit machine, dominating charts worldwide and collaborating with some of the biggest names in music.[8]
Pitbull has sold over 25 million studio albums and over 100 million singles worldwide. He has over 15 billion views on YouTube as of May 2020. Pitbull was ranked by Billboard as the 45th Top Artist of the 2010s and the 24th Top Latin Artist of the 2010s.[9][10]
On November 21, 2014, Pitbull released his eighth studio album that was titled Globalization. The album was preceded by the singles "Wild Wild Love", "We Are One (Ole Ola)", "Fireball" and "Time of Our Lives". The album also features the lead single from the 2014 animated film, Penguins of Madagascar, titled "Celebrate". Pitbull later released the single "Fun" with American R&B recording artist Chris Brown.
Pitbull released his ninth studio album and second Spanish album Dale in 2015. It won Pitbull his first Grammy Award. He followed this with his tenth studio album, Climate Change, on March 17, 2017. Pitbull's fourth compilation album, Greatest Hits, was released on December 1, 2017, and features two new recordings.
Pitbull released his first full-length soundtrack album for the film Gotti alongside Jorge Gómez on June 16, 2018. Pitbull's vocals are featured on two tracks on the album, "So Sorry" and "Amore" (featuring Leona Lewis), both of which were released as singles following the album's release.
Pitbull released his eleventh album Libertad 548 on September 27, 2019. The album includes the RIAA Latin 9× Platinum hit single "No Lo Trates" featuring Daddy Yankee and Natti Natasha. The album spawned RIAA Latin Platinum single "Me Quedaré Contigo" with frequent collaborator Ne-Yo, and was certified RIAA Latin Platinum on January 28, 2021.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6048839/Pitbull-opens-parents-addiction-cocaine-reveals-mom-used-breastfed-him.html
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.liveabout.com/pitbull-profile-3246917
- ↑ https://people.com/celebrity/pitbull-reveals-how-his-mom-helped-him-go-from-drug-dealer-to-superstar/
- ↑ https://www.vulture.com/2017/03/album-reviews-pitbull-and-rick-ross.html
- ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/pitbulls-boatlift-setting-sail-in-november-1048205/
- ↑ http://www.djbooth.net/index/news/entry/pitbull-signs-with-polo-grounds-rca-music-group-preps-rebelution-0403092/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1auX3p8pfw0
- ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/pitbulls-planet-pit-track-by-track-review-470186/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20191101125050/https://www.billboard.com/music/Pitbull/chart-history/3AA
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20191101124911/https://www.billboard.com/music/Pitbull/chart-history/3AS




