For Cuban-American hip-hop artist Pitbull, Hispanic Heritage Month is about struggling to succeed - a concept he said he learned from his grandmother who was a part of the Cuban Revolution.
"It means coming from nothing to something," he said.
Pitbull's show, which was sponsored by Hispanic Heritage Month and Student Government Productions, opened at 7 p.m. Friday at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. He took the stage at 9 p.m.
Maryam Laguna, executive director of Hispanic Heritage Month, said the organization wanted to pick someone cross-cultural that everyone on campus could recognize.
"It's not only about celebrating our own heritage but sharing it with others," Laguna said.
Pitbull expressed a similar opinion.
"Music is a universal language," he said. "No matter what language you speak, as long as it's good music, people will vibe to it."