Pitbull Biography

Armando Christian Perez, popularly known by his stage name Pitbull was born in Miami, Florida. He began rapping at a very young age and was influenced by the Miami bass genre of pop music called Crunk. Pitbull’s successful career began after he was featured on Lil’ Jon and East Side Boyz’ album “Kings of Crunk”.

Early Years

Pitbull was born on January 15, 1981 in Miami, Florida. His parents, emigrants from Cuba, separated when he was just a toddler. He was raised by his mother and later on by a foster family in Roswell, Georgia. Pitbull attended South Miami Senior High School and graduated from Miami Coral Park High School. After that, his rapping career became his main focus.

Career Beginnings

After meeting Lil Jon in Miami, Pitbull was tapped as a featured guest on Lil Jon’s album “Kings of Crunk” in 2002. He released his debut album “M.I.A.M.I.” in 2004. The title of the album is an acronym for Money Is a Major Issue. Including collaborations with Fat Joe, Trick Daddy and Lil Jon, Pitbull’s debut album reached number 14 on Billboard Hot 200.

Ongoing Success

After the success of “M.I.A.M.I.”, Pitbull was signed to join Eminem and 50 Cent on their Anger Management Tour. His second album, “El Mariel” came out on October 31, 2006. Pitbull named the album after the boat that transported Cuban refugees to Florida in the movie “Scarface”. In November 2007, he released his third album, “The Boatlift”. Pitbull’s fourth album, “Rebelution” features some of his famous songs: “I Know You Want Me”, “Hotel Room Service”, “Blanco” and “Shooting Star”. Pitbull’s first US number-one single was “Give Me Everything”, which was included on his 2011 album, “Planet Pit”.

Photo credits: Discogs