Between answering questions in English, Pitbull would lean in toward the audience and spit out a quick Spanish phrase.
Each time, those who understood laughed like they were in on an inside joke.
During his introduction alone, the crowd of hundreds erupted into applause nearly 10 times. Audience members lined up around the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts nearly an hour before he took the stage in anticipation.
Armando Christian Pérez, whose stage name is Pitbull, was paid $130,000 to speak at UF. The Cuban-American rapper addressed the crowd Tuesday night as part of Accent Speakers Bureau’s and the Hispanic Student Association’s homage to Hispanic Heritage Month. The discussion was moderated by Ted Spiker, the UF journalism department chair.
During his time on stage, Pitbull talked about growing up with refugee parents, living around drug violence in Miami, how education impacted his life, his introduction into the music industry and how his past has influenced the way he handles the pressures of fame.
As a kid, Pitbull said he attended between 20 and 25 schools.
“I felt like the system was built to fail me,” Pitbull said.
However, he said the school system opened his door to the music industry.
Before the fame, when he was just Armando, Pitbull had a drama teacher named Hope Martinez. When she saw a large group of boys huddled together in the hall, Pitbull said she thought it was a fight.
“She busted through and heard us rapping,” Pitbull said. “She said, ‘You do this every day? Do you always draw this crowd? You’re talented.’”
After that, Martinez took Pitbull under her wing, encouraging him to stay in his classes. One day, Martinez approached him with an opportunity to audition to work with rapper DMX, Pitbull said. It was the foot in the door that he needed.
“It’s ironic that a teacher changed my life,” Pitbull said. “She said, ‘The only thing I ask from you is that when you get an award, you thank me.’”
Today, he still does.
Now that he has found worldwide success, Pitbull draws from his experiences with the positive and negative sides of the education system, working to improve it from the inside.
Pitbull has worked with the education system in South Florida to incorporate arts, sports and business into the curriculum. By associating maths and sciences with topics students are more comfortable with, Pitbull said they are able to feel more confident in their studies and grasp the material. And it has results, he said.
“Our last class, we graduated at 100 percent,” Pitbull said. “And we’re talking about kids that are 93 percent on free lunch. These are the kids that need this.”
Spiker - What is your favorite Cuban food?
Pitbull - Fricasé de pollo
Spiker - What is your favorite artform besides music?
Pitbull - Sex. Dale!
Spiker - What is your second favorite dog breed?
Pitbull - Havanese
Spiker - What’s your second favorite area code?
Pitbull - 786
Spiker - One last word to leave these fine students?
Crowd and Pitbull - Dale!
Music artist and motivational speaker Pitbull talks to a crowd of more than 1,000 students during a speaking event hosted by Accent Speakers Bureau at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday night. Also known as Mr. Worldwide, Mr. 305, or by his real name, Armando Christian Pérez, Pitbull spoke about his upbringing in Miami and life experiences as part of the event partnered with Hispanic Heritage Month.
