Pitbull (rapper) facts for kids

Armando Christian Pérez (born January 15, 1981), known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He is also called Mr. 305 and Mr. Worldwide. He started his music journey in the early 2000s, performing reggaeton and Latin hip hop. His first album, M.I.A.M.I., came out in 2004.

Pitbull became very famous with his fourth album, Pitbull Starring in Rebelution (2009). This album included hit songs like "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" and "Hotel Room Service". Later, he changed his style to include more pop music. His albums Planet Pit (2011) and Global Warming (2012) were very successful. His song "Give Me Everything" became his first number-one hit. Another big hit was "Timber" with Kesha, which was number one in many countries.

In 2014, Pitbull performed "We Are One (Ole Ola)" with Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte. This was the official song for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He has also been featured on many other popular songs, like "I Like It" by Enrique Iglesias and "On the Floor" by Jennifer Lopez.

Pitbull has sold over 25 million albums and more than 100 million singles around the world. He has billions of views on YouTube. Besides music, he is a businessman, has his own radio station called Pitbull's Globalization Radio on Sirius XM Radio, and even owns part of a NASCAR racing team called Trackhouse Racing. He has won many awards, including 35 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Early Life and Background

Armando Christian Pérez was born on January 15, 1981, in Miami, Florida. His parents were immigrants from Cuba. Growing up, his family encouraged him to use the opportunities available in America. When he was three years old, he could already recite poems by Cuban hero José Martí in Spanish. He learned English by watching Sesame Street. His parents separated when he was young, and his mother mostly raised him.

He went to South Miami Senior High School and Miami Coral Park High School. He was inspired by Miami's Miami bass music and artists like Celia Cruz and Willy Chirino. He also looked up to rappers such as Nas, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg. He said that growing up in Miami, a "melting pot" of cultures, helped him try new sounds and ideas in his music.

Pitbull chose his stage name because Pitbull dogs "bite to lock" and "are too stupid to lose." He felt this described his own constant fight to succeed. After meeting Lil Jon in Miami, Pitbull was featured on Lil Jon's album Kings of Crunk in 2002. His song "Oye" was also in the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003. He also released several mixtapes and worked with Uncle Luke early in his career.

Career Highlights

Starting Out: Luke and TVT Records (2001–2003)

In 2001, Pitbull signed with Luther Campbell's Luke Records. He then met Robert Fernandez, who helped him make his music more suitable for radio. Fernandez also introduced Pitbull to Lil Jon, which helped Pitbull gain more attention.

First Album: M.I.A.M.I. (2004–2005)

Pitbull released his first album, M.I.A.M.I., in 2004. The main song was "Culo", which became popular. Other songs from the album included "Back Up" and "Toma". He also toured with famous rappers like Eminem and 50 Cent. In 2005, Pitbull and Sean 'Diddy' Combs started Bad Boy Latino, a music label focused on Latin hip hop and pop.

El Mariel and The Boatlift (2006–2007)

In 2006, Pitbull released El Mariel, dedicating it to his father, who had passed away. This album included party songs but also some with political themes. It did well on the music charts. His third album, The Boatlift, came out in 2007. It featured songs like "Go Girl" and "The Anthem". Pitbull also had his own TV show called Pitbull's La Esquina from 2007 to 2009.

Breakthrough Success: Rebelution and Armando (2008–2010)

Pitbull performing in Chicago in 2009.

For his fourth album, Pitbull Starring in Rebelution, Pitbull released "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)". This song became a huge hit worldwide, reaching number two in the U.S. and number one in France. He then signed with Polo Grounds Music and started his own label, Mr. 305 Inc.. Another hit from the album was "Hotel Room Service".

In 2009, the city of Miami gave Pitbull a "Key to the City" honor. He also recorded "Blanco" for the movie Fast & Furious. In 2010, Pitbull joined many Latin artists for "Somos El Mundo", a Spanish version of "We Are the World", to help Haiti. He also worked with Usher on "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love".

Pitbull released his first full Spanish-language album, Armando, in 2010. He received many nominations at the 2011 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Global Hits: Planet Pit (2011)

Pitbull performing in 2011.

In 2011, Pitbull was featured on Jennifer Lopez's hit song "On the Floor", which was a big success. He then released his album Planet Pit in June 2011. The first song, "Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)", was a moderate hit.

His second song from the album, "Give Me Everything", featuring Ne-Yo, Nayer, and Afrojack, became Pitbull's first song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Global Warming and Men in Black 3 (2012–2013)

Pitbull in 2013.

Pitbull's seventh album, Global Warming, was released in November 2012. He said the title meant that like global warming, he had been around for a while, but now people were really noticing him. The album included "Get It Started" with Shakira and "Feel This Moment" with Christina Aguilera.

He also released "Back in Time" for the movie Men in Black 3. In 2013, Pitbull made his acting debut with a voice role in the animated film Epic. He also toured with Kesha. His song "Echa Pa'lla (Manos Pa'rriba)" won an award at the 2013 Latin Grammy Awards.

Later in 2013, he released Global Warming: Meltdown, an extended version of his album. It featured the hit song "Timber" with Kesha, which became number one in 18 countries. Pitbull also hosted the 2013 American Music Awards.

World Cup and Globalization (2014–2015)

Pitbull performing with Enrique Iglesias in 2015.

In 2014, Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, and Claudia Leitte performed "We Are One (Ole Ola)" at the opening ceremony of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Pitbull (left) with Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte performing at the 2014 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony.

Pitbull released his eighth album, Globalization, in November 2014. It included the popular songs "Wild Wild Love" and "Fireball". Another hit from this album was "Time of Our Lives" with Ne-Yo, which reached the top ten.

In 2015, Pitbull released his second Spanish album, Dale. This album won him a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album.

Recent Music and Projects (2015–Present)

Pitbull released his tenth album, Climate Change, in 2017. He also released a greatest hits album. In 2018, he released a soundtrack album for the film Gotti.

In 2019, Pitbull worked with Indian singer Guru Randhawa on the song "Slowly Slowly", which got many views online. His eleventh album, Libertad 548, came out in 2019. It featured hit Spanish songs like "No Lo Trates" and "Me Quedaré Contigo". The album also included "Get Ready" with Blake Shelton, which became the official theme song for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Pitbull released "I Believe That We Will Win (World Anthem)" to inspire people. He donated all the money from this song to charities like Feeding America. In 2021, he announced the "I Feel Good Tour", his first big tour in a few years. In 2023, he released his twelfth album, Trackhouse, which reached number one on the U.S. iTunes Latin Album Charts.

Other Ventures

Pitbull has worked with many brands, including Kodak, Dr Pepper, and Budweiser. He also owns a large part of Voli Vodka, which he rebranded as Voli 305 Vodka, named after Miami's area code. In 2015, he launched his own radio channel on Sirius XM Radio called Pitbull's Globalization Radio.

In 2012, Pitbull visited Kodiak, Alaska, to perform a concert after a fun online campaign. He received a key to the city there. In 2019, he partnered with Boost Mobile for advertising campaigns. In 2020, he appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for Hard Rock.

On January 15, 2021, Pitbull became a co-owner of the NASCAR Cup Series team Trackhouse Racing. In 2023, he also became an investor in the restaurant chain Cilantro Taco Grill.

Impact and Activism

Pitbull is dedicated to helping the Latino community. He focuses on education to help reduce poverty. He helped start a tuition-free public charter school called Sports Leadership and Management (SLAM!) in Miami in 2013, where he grew up. SLAM! schools now operate in several U.S. cities and have a very high graduation rate.

After Hurricane Maria caused damage in Puerto Rico, Pitbull used his private plane to fly cancer patients from Puerto Rico to the United States for medical treatment. He is also a strong critic of communism and the Cuban government, supporting protests against it.

Discography

• M.I.A.M.I. (2004)
• El Mariel (2006)
• The Boatlift (2007)
• Pitbull Starring in Rebelution (2009)
• Armando (2010)
• Planet Pit (2011)
• Global Warming (2012)
• Globalization (2014)
• Dale (2015)
• Climate Change (2017)
• Libertad 548 (2019)
• Trackhouse (2023)

Concert Tours

• 2009–2011: Rebelution Tour
• 2012: Planet Pit World Tour
• 2013: North American Tour 2013 (with Kesha)
• 2015: Pitbull Live in Hong Kong
• 2016: The Bad Man Tour (with Prince Royce and Farruko)
• 2017: Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull Live! (with Enrique Iglesias)
• 2021: I Feel Good Tour (with Iggy Azalea)
• 2022: Can't Stop Us Now Tour (with Iggy Azalea and Sean Paul)
• 2023: The Trilogy Tour (with Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin)
• 2024: The Trilogy Tour 'The Party Continues' (with Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin)
• 2024: Party After Dark Tour

Opening Act

• 2018: Britney Spears – Piece of Me Tour

Residencies

• 2015–2019: Pitbull: Time of Our Lives
• 2020 PPD: Pitbull: Get Ready Vegas

Virtual Concert Series

• 2020: Pitbull: Live & Timeless

Film and Television

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Pitbull (cantante) para niños