Fans want to know where Pitbull is now (Picture: Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images)
After a string of hits in the 00s, Pitbull became a household name for many music fans but he has now taken on a new life as a huge meme.
Many will remember Pitbull, real name Armando Christian Pérez, from his hits like I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) and Hotel Room Service.
He stormed the charts with collaborations with the likes of Ne-Yo, Kesha, Christina Aguilera, Usher, Enrique Iglesias, and Jennifer Lopez.
However, Mr Worldwide has failed to make a dent with his newer releases, despite 12 studio albums to his name — one as recently as October 2023.
Instead, the Timber hitmaker has taken on a second life as a certified meme for internet users; from a picture of Pitbull photoshopped in space next to the earth to Mr Worldwide-themed parties.
The 43-year-old rapper now exists in a strange pocket of fame, simultaneously a mega-star and almost completely absent from pop conversations.
The singer had major success in the noughties (Picture: JLN Photography/REX/Shutterstock)
Pitbull’s 00s chart success
If anyone were to be accused of being an industry plant, surely it would be Mr Worldwide whose debut album Miami was produced by Lil Jon.
He was then put on the 2000s Anger Management Tour, a US tour showcasing the best rappers in the business; including Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, and Eminem.
By 2005 — with only one studio album to his name — Pitbull launched the record label Bad Boy Latino through Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Bad Boy Records.
His collaborations with huge stars continued as he recorded three songs for the debut album of Terror Squad, featuring DJ Khaled.
It wasn’t until his fourth studio album that Mr 305 — a nod to his Miami area code — really hit the charts, releasing I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) which peaked at number two on the Hot 100.
The singer was rocking a similar look in 2024 (Picture: Edwin Locke/UPI/REX/Shutterstock)
Blanco featuring Pharrell Williams was another hit in 2009 for the Fast and Furious soundtrack.
Adding to his ridiculous list of collaborations, the rapper then worked with everyone from Janet Jackson to Alexandra Burke.
Give Me Everything, and On The Floor are two of his most iconic tracks from this early 2010s collaboration period.
There was rarely a chart hit in the late 00s into early 2010s that didn’t have his familiar Latino voice adding a verse or two.
Although not everyone is a fan as Lindsay Lohan sued Pitbull, Ne-Yo, and Afrojack over the lyric ‘got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan’ but the case was dismissed.
Also, does anyone remember that version he did of Toto’s Africa for the Aquaman film in 2018? Well, here it is.
10 years of Pitbull’s climate appeal
Mr Worldwide is more than a nickname, it’s a motto for the work he does trying to warn us about climate change.
The rapper was global UN ambassador for Clean Water Here and in 2018 received the World Water Champion Award for his activism.
At the time, he said: ‘Our leaders need to understand that economy and environment are not mutually exclusive. One is not more important than the other.
He’s a climate activist as well as a performer (Picture: JLN Photography/REX/Shutterstock)
‘Try counting your money while holding your breath, starving and dehydrating at the same time. All life needs water. Clean Water Here is committed to improving access to safe water for all, and it is an honour to serve as a global ambassador.
‘Equally, it is an honour to address delegates at the United Nations on World Water Day about this critical issue.’
Even in his songs, Mr 305 has been rapping about the impending doom as he has not one but two albums named after the environmental crisis; Global Warming in 2012 and Climate Change in 2017.
The lyrics to Global Warming’s lead track warn of possible climate collapse as he raps: ‘Live my dreams, y’all dormant/Category 6 as I storm in/Take this as a, take this as a warning/Welcome to, welcome to global warming.’
He’s been gently dropping hints about global warming for ages in his tracks, like a parent hiding vegetables in our dinner.
Mr Worldwide memes
However, try as he might, it’s not the climate that has become Pitbull’s legacy but rather his second life as a meme.
The internet is a weird and wonderful place but much like Rick Astley is known for the Rickroll and Nickelback are a ‘hated’ band, Pitbull exists as a joke.
Not that he is being ridiculed but rather Gen Z have become fond of him like an estranged bald uncle.
Parties with people donning bald caps and going out as variants of the star are surprisingly common on TikTok.
‘We love you Mr.Worldwide,’ came the caption of one TikTok in which a group of young women danced to I Know You Want Me while dressed as Mr 305.
Meanwhile, Mr Worldwide memes took over Reddit and the wider internet and were used as a self-deprecating joke about people’s language proficiency.
Often they describe mundane interactions or decisions — such as putting pineapple and jalapenos on pizza — which brand them a citizen of the world.
‘When you actually pronounced “croissant” right’ and ‘When you say hola to your Spanish teacher’ are all followed by the image of Mr Worldwide.
Pitbull’s song Time Of Our Lives, in collaboration with Ne-Yo, has gained significant traction on TikTok with over 58.7k people using the sound.
The trend sees the person explaining that they’re going through a hard time but it’s okay because the rapper has also ‘been there done that’.
This comes from the song’s bridge, in which Pitbull states: ‘This for anybody going through tough times/ Believe me, been there, done that/ But everyday above ground is a great day, remember that.’
People have used the sound for a truly wild variety of things from a terminal cancer diagnosis to a fake tooth being visible while clubbing.
‘In the hospital w terminal cancer but just remembered Pitbull has been there done that so I’ll be fine,’ wrote Parker Morgan.
Emma shared: ‘When you’re self-conscious about your fake tooth not lighting up in the club but you remember Pitbull has been there, done that.’
‘When your uterus feels like it’s being stabbed but you remember Pitbull has been there, done that,’ posted Ella.
There’s honestly a Pitbull meme for every occasion because Mr Worldwide has been there, done that.
What is Pitbull up to now?
While you may not have heard his voice on any new tracks, Pitbull is still very much making music and even went on tour a few years ago.
In 2020, he released a Covid anthem, supposed to lift people’s spirits during the tough times titled I Believe That We Will Win (World Anthem).
The Can’t Stop Us Tour with Iggy Azalea and Sean Paul began on July 28, 2022, and toured the US until October 19, 2022, where it ended in Florida.
This came after a 32-city tour the year before, with the Fancy singer as a special guest.
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During this time he’s also been investing, becoming the co-owner of the NASCAR Cup Series team Trackhouse Racing in 2021.
He also is an investor in a taco chain restaurant named Cilantro Taco Grill as of August last year.
Sadly, Pitbull hasn’t seen chart success in quite some time despite releasing an album last year (not global warming-themed this time).
Trackhouse is unsurprisingly filled with guest artists such as T Pain, Lil Jon, and Nile Rogers and actually debuted at number one on the Latin charts in the US.
Unfortunately, the album didn’t quite have the worldwide appeal he may have been hoping for.
The singer bought the rights to name the stadium for a pretty penny (Picture: Sophia Bolivar/TNS via ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)
Clearly, Mr Worldwide is not struggling for cash though as on August 7, 2024, he managed to buy the naming rights to Florida International’s stadium for $1.2million (£937,845.60).
Not only is he paying that upfront, the five-year deal means Pitbull will cough up over a million per year for those rights.
‘What we’re doing here is groundbreaking. We’re making history. This is history in the making,’ the Miami native said.
‘You’re going to see that every other university is going to want to do the same thing. But the difference is, we don’t do this for propaganda, we do it from the heart.
It’s the first ever colleague athletics building to be named after a musician and honestly, what could be more fitting for this icon?
Pitbull added: ‘We do it because it’s meaningful. We do it because I’m from the crib. I’m 305. I’m from the bottom. This is my backyard.’
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