Sophia Michaels
If you’ve ever turned on the radio, you’ve heard at least some portion of rapper Pitbull’s contribution to the music industry. Not only has the Cuban-American entertainer from Miami saturated the market, but he’s also taking up valuable space in the meme category, too. Read on to find out how “Mr. Worldwide” feels about being called a “sellout” and how the memes only make him more powerful.
Pitbull began as ‘Mr. 305’ before he became ‘Mr. Worldwide’
Armando Christian Pérez — aka Pitbull — is a world-renown rapper, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and brand ambassador. For nearly 20 years, the star has been climbing the charts with bilingual hits such as “Culo” and “Toma.”
According to CNN, the rapper’s name was inspired by the pitbull breed because he also “likes the hunt,” adding, “I like when people say you can’t, you won’t, you never will.”
One he expanded his territory, he felt he couldn’t only represent Miami (hence the 305 area code), so he changed it to “Worldwide” to better suit his path.
“If you don’t know where you’re from, you don’t know where you’re going. “Believe me, I know where I’m from. I love it. I wear it on my chest. Everywhere I go everybody knows Mr. 305, Mr. Dade County, Miami boy representing,” he said.
“When I say Mr. Worldwide, it’s because we’re all around the world. Now, we’ve got to think of another name like Mr. Another Planet or something.”
He’ll never forget where he came from
His Latin roots are what gave him the kickstart, and he never misses an opportunity to give “home” a shoutout.
“I always give thanks to Miami, 305, Dade County, The Bottom, Magic City, because there’s no way I would be who I am and be able to deal with the world the way that I do if it wasn’t for this beautiful city.”
He went on to explain how living in Dade County prepared him for where he is now.
“Growing up around so many cultures, it’s always allowed me to think out [of] the box and try new sounds and try new things. You learn something new from every culture — just like I learn something new from every record.”
‘Mr. Worldwide’ credits his mom for pushing him on the right path
If you’ve ever wondered what life someone like Pitbull lived before fame, the rapper previously told People he was a “17-year-old drug dealer and hustler” in Miami, until his mom, Alysha Acosta, stepped in with a little tough love.
“My mom goes to me, ‘I don’t want to see you until you figure out what you’re going to do. It wasn’t that she scolded me and was punishing me,” he said. “It was more like giving me freedom to make that choice, and it woke me up.”
Whatever she did worked because Pitbull is more focused than ever to “lead by example” for his six children, all thanks to his mom.
“That woman made me a man,” he said. “She taught me how to survive, and I want to teach my kids that. Why? Because I don’t want them to feel like they’ve got to live in my shadow.”
Here’s how Pitbull feels about anything that bears his likeness
Longtime fans of Mr. Worldwide might not be too keen on his extreme celebrity status, but it doesn’t’ stop the memes from pouring in. If you’re on social media, you’ve likely come across the meme of Pitbull holding the world in his hands.
The trending hashtag has a devoted Instagram site with nearly 300,000 photos. Not all of them are the Pitbull meme, but the hashtag alone will get you there.
Some who see Pitbull’s face on everything from commercials to memes have referred to him as a “sellout.” What does Mr. Worldwide say about it?
“They’re right. I did sell out. I sell out arenas, I sell out stadiums. I sell out a bunch of things all around the world.”
The artist knows his brand and how to make the most of it.
“In order to be a marquee brand,” Pitbull told Variety. “You’ve got to learn from marquee brands. For me, it’s about people wanting to use the brand, the Latino and Hispanic culture. So let’s navigate and maneuver it.”
If Pitbull’s thoughts on his branding empire aren’t enough, former Sony Music chairman and C.E.O. Tommy Mottola, gave his two cents saying, “[Pitbull] has used his branding opportunities more wisely and effectively than any artist in the music industry.”
All that said, Armando Christian Pérez, admitted he’s here to teach people that “failure is the mother of all success, adding, “you are going to fail, you are going to slip. And when you do, embrace it; learn from it.”
And so, with all those Mr. Worldwide memes going ’round and ’round, Pitbull thanks you for validating his years of hard work. Dale!
Written by: CheatSheet
