Biography
Rapper Pitbull parlayed reggaeton's infectious rhythms with the boisterous groove of hip-hop party tracks and his own slyly confident delivery to generate a slew of hit singles and albums over the course of a decade, including the chart-topping Rap Chart releases Rebelution (2009) and Globalization (2012) and the Hot 100 No. 1's "Timber" and "Time of Our Lives." Born Armando Christian Perez in Miami, Florida on January 15, 1981, he was the son of Cuban immigrants who raised their son in an atmosphere steeped with their cultural heritage; at three, Pitbull could recite the works of Cuban poet Jose Marti in Spanish. Though his home life was, at times, chaotic - his parents split when he was still a boy, and he spent time in foster care in Georgia - he found solace and a creative outlet in hip-hop. For his own foray into rapping, he drew on a diverse array of influence, from Southern acts like Luther Campbell to the New York grit of Nas and the easy groove of the West Coast's G-Funk collective, and after adopting the stage name "Pitbull" - which he chose for its tenacity and outlaw status in Dade County - he lent verses to various mixtapes before working his way up to guest appearances on Campbell's 2001 single "Lollipop," which led to a brief tenure on the rapper's Luke Records imprint. After honing his talents with the producer-manager team the Diaz Brothers, Pitbull connected with Lil Jon, who offered him a chance to freestyle on his Top 5 album with the East Side Boyz, Kings of Crunk (2002). A single, "Oye," turned up on the soundtrack to "2 Fast 2 Furious" (2003) the following year, signaling Pitbull's ascent in the national hip-hop scene; a debut album, M.I.A.M.I., produced by Jon and the Diaz Brothers, followed in 2004, and generated a Top 40 single, "Culo." He was soon an in-demand guest performer on tracks by DJ Khaled, the Ying Yang Twins and Pretty Ricky, which furthered interest in his second LP, the TVT Records release El Mariel (2005). A solid effort that combined party anthems like "Bojangles" with political content that referenced the plight of Cubans, Mariel reached No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and topped the publication's independent albums chart. A follow-up, The Boatlift, was announced immediately after Mariel's release, and was initially intended to be an all-Spanish-language album, but the final product, released in 2007 and anchored by the single "Secret Admirer," was predominately in English and failed to reproduce its predecessor's success. Undaunted, Pitbull forged ahead with his fourth album, this time for a new label, Ultra Records, in conjunction with J Records. Rebelution (2007) was a huge success thanks to the simmering lead single "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)," which peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart, and was followed by a Top 10 single, "Hotel Room Service," that same year. A slew of collaborations with Pharrell Williams, Janet Jackson, Usher and Cypress Hill preceded the launch of his own record label, Mr. 305 Inc. - which took its title from his self-imposed nickname - and his fifth LP, the all-Spanish-language Armando (2010). A sizable hit on Billboard's Latin and Rap album charts, it netted seven nominations at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, and was followed by another major success with the No. 9 single "On the Floor," one of two collaborations with Jennifer Lopez on her Love? (2011) LP , and the highest debuting Hot 100 single of her career. Pitbull's own career continued on its upward path with his sixth album, Planet Pit (2011), which peaked at No. 7 thanks to a slew of hit singles, including the chart-topping "Give Me Everything." Pitbull moved to RCA after the company closed J Records in 2011, and issued a trio of well-received singles - "Back in Time," which was featured on the soundtrack to "Men in Black 3"; "Get It Started," with Shakira; and "Feel This Moment," with Christina Aguilera - to build momentum for his seventh album, Global Warning (2012). A Top 20 hit on the Billboard 200, Global topped its Rap Albums chart, but its success was quickly surpassed by a 2013 single, "Timber," featuring Pitbull's labelmate, singer Kesha. A No. 1 hit in 18 international markets, it prompted the release of an extended version of Global featuring the single. Now firmly established as one of the leading Latin artists in pop, hip-hop and dance - a status cemented by his collaboration with Lopez and Brazilian artist Claudia Leitte on "We Are One (Ole Ola)," the 2014 FIFA World Cup anthem, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and his own primetime New Year's Eve Special for Fox - Pitbull commenced work on his eighth album in a decade, Globalization. The 2014 release generated four Top 40 singles, including the Top 10 collaboration with Ne-Yo, "Time Of Our Lives." While still promoting Globalization - a sixth single, "Fun," with Chris Brown, was released in 2015 - Pitbull issued his ninth LP, Dale. The Spanish-language release was only a minor hit on the Billboard Top 200, but a colossal hit in the Latin market, earning positive critical reviews, the top spot on Billboard's Latin chart and his first Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album. He then returned to English-language releases for his tenth release, (2016); the album, laded with high-profile duets, including Enrique Iglesias on "Messin' Around," Flo Rida and LunchMoney Lewis on "Greenlight," and Stephen Marley on "Options," broke into the Top 30 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 12 on the Rap Albums chart. After pausing briefly to release a greatest hits compilation, which included new collaborations with Lil Jon and Abraham Mateo, in 2017 and two tracks for the soundtrack to the disastrous 2018 feature "Gotti," Pitbull released his 11th studio album, Libertad, in 2019. The LP, again featuring a sizable collection of guest performers ranging from Wisin & Yandel and Daddy Yankee to Blake Shelton and Ludacris, was a hit on the Latin Billboard chart, debuting at No. 12 and reaching No. 11 on the Latin Rhythm Albums chart.
