How did pit bulls get such a bad rap?

By Jon Bastian
If current news reports are to be believed, pit bulls have been attacking and biting humans left and right—to the point that many communities are considering breed-specific bans on pit bulls.
Would it surprise you to learn that pit bulls used to be America’s darlings? Before the mid-80s, stories of pit bull attacks are practically non-existent. There is even some confusion over exactly which breed of dog is a pit bull — the definition includes the American pit bull terrier, the Staffordshire terrier and, at times, the bulldog. This confusion seems to have dogged the breed from the beginning, as there is some disagreement over the origin of pit bulls.

Where do pit bulls come from and how did they get such a bad rap?

Two possible histories of pit bulls

In one theory, pit bulls began during antiquity as the so-called Molossus, a now-extinct breed that was used by the Greeks as shepherds and guard dogs. In times of war, they marched off to battle with their humans. Eventually, so the theory goes, the Molossus made it to early Britain, where it became known as the Mastiff. In the first century CE, Rome discovered the breed after defeating the Britons, and the dogs spread all over the empire. For the next four hundred years, they were used as war dogs, and intermixed with various local breeds all over the European continent, becoming the forerunners of the modern pit bull.
A competing theory places the origin of the pit bull in England at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, when butchers would use large, Mastiff-type dogs as “bullenbeissers,” which translates as “bull biter.” Trained to latch onto a bull’s nose and not let go until the animal was subdued, these dogs were the only way that humans could regain control when a bull became agitated. Unfortunately, this practical if dubious use eventually led to the “sport” of bull-baiting, where dogs were put in a pit with an intentionally riled-up bull and spectators placed bets on which dog would hold on the longest, or bring the bull down. You’ve probably guessed it by now, but this is also the origin of the terms “pit bull dog” and “bulldog.”
Still not a specific breed, the bullenbeissers were bred with Terriers, combining their intelligence with the strength of the Mastiffs. As bull-baiting came to be banned in the 19th century, dog fighting became popular as an underground and quasi-illegal activity in the UK. British immigrants to the U.S. at that time brought dog fighting, as well as their dogs, to the New World. However, as the breed spread to Americans and Americans spread across the continent, pit bulls began to be put to their original use, as general purpose herding and working dogs. Because of their fighting history, though, the American Kennel Club would not recognize the breed until 1936, although they defined it as a Staffordshire terrier, distinct from the American pit bull terrier.

Early perceptions of pit bulls

Far from being considered a killing machine on legs, pit bulls seem to be an American favorite in the early half of the century — indeed, during World War I, the country itself is personified as a pit bull on army recruitment posters, and several pit bulls go on to become famous in the American military. Referring to an athlete as a pit bull is a very common sports metaphor through the 1930s, and it is meant as the highest compliment. There is also a famous racehorse in the late 1930s named Pit Bull, as well as a number of pit bull stars of early motion pictures. Frequently, pit bulls are associated with children, as in the Our Gang comedies, as well as with Buster Brown, both in short films and as the corporate mascot for a shoe company. The famous RCA Victor image of a dog and a gramophone also featured a pit bull terrier.

From the turn of the century until the early 1980s, there is exactly one dog attack story to make the national papers and mention pit bulls, but that’s probably because it involved a man intentionally siccing a pack of 26 dogs on a young woman. According to a 1947 article in The Independent (St. Petersburg, Florida), “Attorneys said they believed it was the first time the state had invoked a statute which would find the owner guilty of manslaughter if it were proven that he permitted vicious animals to run free and they attacked and killed a human being.” There’s no mention of pit bulls as vicious and no call for a ban of the breed, just a human who is held responsible for inducing the dogs to attack. Ironically, though, it is in Florida forty years after this incident that the first breed-specific ban is enacted. In the intervening decades, “pit bull” continues to be a popular description for athletes and when the breed does turn up in newspapers, it’s more often than not in a classified ad for puppies.
The only mention during the 1960s that isn’t an ad is a rather amusing bit from gossip columnist Earl Wilson, who reported in his August 22, 1969 column, “Sonny and Cher, who used to scare people, have now been scared by people. ‘Totally horrified’ by the Sharon Tate murder case, they bought a big dog — ‘a pit bull terrier’ — to protect them and their little daughter Chaste [sic] at their Hollywood Home...” It is at about this time that using large dogs for personal protection becomes popular, but pit bulls are still not singled out as particularly dangerous. In 1971, a new law allows the U.S. Postal Service to bill people for injuries caused to letter carriers by their dogs, but it applies to all dogs, and the general attitude is still one of human responsibility. In a syndicated New York Times story from 1977 on dog bites, opening with the story of a seven year-old boy receiving a very minor injury from a Great Dane, author Jane E. Brody advises, “(S)imple precautions on the part of the dog owners and potential victims could prevent most of these attacks.”

Change in perception and ban on pit bulls

Less than a decade later, that had all changed, and by New Year’s Day 1986, over thirty communities are considering breed specific legislation and bans on pit bulls. What changed?
For one thing, despite being illegal in all fifty states, dog fighting made a comeback in the 80s, and the pit bull is the dog of choice. It is also the preferred guard dog for drug dealers and gangs, with a hugely publicized attack in 1987 in which a pit bull guarding a marijuana crop in California mauls and kills a two-and-a-half year-old boy.
By the summer of that year, every single proposed ban has become law, but not necessarily with the support of animal professionals. Kent Salazar, head of Albuquerque’s animal control division, commented at the time of their proposed ban on pit bulls that he didn’t think a ban on pit bulls was necessary, saying, “We have all the means to protect people with clauses about vicious dogs.” He also noted that, a few years previously, Doberman pinschers were the target of such bans. His words went unheeded, and Tijeras, New Mexico, just outside of Albuquerque, passes the toughest pit bull ban of the time, allowing animal control officers to seize and destroy them on sight without compensation to the owner.
The various pit bull breed bans are decried by animal control officials as “the most concentrated legal assault on a pit bull they can recall,” as well as “canine racism.” The Houston Chronicle quotes unnamed officials as placing the blame for the problem squarely on humans. “(M)any of the pit bull attacks are due to a skyrocketing number of poorly bred and badly trained dogs raised by backyard breeders, who are trying to cash in on the pit bull’s growing reputation as a cheap, but deadly effective guard dog, particularly in urban areas.”
Nearly thirty years after the beginning of this anti-pit bull hysteria, the tide seems to be turning a little bit, but every step forward is followed by a step back. Even as Florida is attempting to overturn all breed-specific legislation, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin is considering imposing a new ban. Yet it only takes a brief look at the history of pit bulls to realize that the dogs are not the problem; the humans who misuse them are. For over a hundred years, holding the owners personally responsible was enough to prevent attacks, and the breed was perceived as very child-friendly. With outreach and education, it may be possible to restore that image and rehabilitate the pit bull’s reputation, restoring an iconic American dog to its rightful place among mankind’s best friends.

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The Truth About Pit Bulls

With the amount of fear mongering that exists currently regarding pit bull-type dogs, I feel it's important to publish the truth about these dogs. Although most dogs labeled as pit bulls are actually a mix of different breeds with similar physical characteristics, anything that has the appearance of an American Pitbull Terrier is incorrectly labeled as a pit bull, even when there is no relation to the APT at all. For the purpose of this article, therefore, I will call dogs with similar physical characteristics pit bull types, unless I am referencing the American Pitbull Terrier specifically.
Since I came to the US fifteen years ago, I have worked with American Pitbull Terriers and pit bull types and have treated everything from minor to major behavioral issues in these dogs, including aggression. For the past 3 years I have also been working with my colleague and friend Jim Crosby, canine aggression expert and forensic dog bite investigator, on investigations where people – including children – have been mauled or killed by dogs. Jim Crosby has had his hands on more dangerous dogs and dogs that have killed people than anyone else in the world. There is no one more qualified when it comes to understanding why dogs aggress and why tragic incidents such as human deaths from dogs happen. Yes, some people have been killed by pit bull types and some have been killed by other breeds, but the correlation between the majority of these deaths, regardless of breed or breed type, is owner ignorance, recklessness and irresponsibility. Most of the human deaths from dogs he has investigated over many years could have been prevented if human failure had not been such a significant contributing factor.
My experience therefore qualifies me to write and talk about this breed type more than any journalist or scaremonger out there determined to instill fear. And to be clear, I’m not an American Pitbull Terrier or pit bull type advocate. I’m an advocate for all dogs. I’m also a realist and these are my observations.
Does Breed Type Predict Behavior?
Every dog has their own set of personality traits that make them unique, and it’s impossible to predict a dog’s behavior solely on its breed type, because the way a dog is raised and the environment in which he is raised in has a significant impact on behavior, regardless of breed. So while I do take breed predisposition into account when I’m working with any dog, I never rely on it solely as a predictor of behavior. The myth that all pit bulls are dangerous or 'bred to be violent' is simply not true, but myths like these continue to instill fear in the general public and cause devastating misunderstandings.
Do All Pit Bull Types Have Similar Behavioral Traits?
No. Some have a tendency towards certain behaviors, but not all. Their range of behavior defies any singular label and is as complex and variable as any other breed type, crossing the spectrum from the gentle and even-tempered therapy dog used to help children read more fluently in school programs, to the dog labeled a liability for biting or even causing a human fatality.
Are There Any Accurate Pit Bull Type-Specific Generalizations?
If I had to pick some tendencies and make a few generalization about pit bull types they would be the following:

• Although there are always exceptions, pit bull types and bully breeds generally tend to mature earlier and show demonstrative behaviors from a very young age, with pups engaging in rough play and muzzle punching. They tend to get overly excited during play, (normal for many breeds) which can frighten other dogs. As the puppy matures, play can become rougher with adolescent and adult dogs becoming less tolerant and sometimes reactive. Overly exuberant play can provoke a negative response in other dogs’, which can quickly escalate into a squabble or fight. To avoid this situation, play should be supervised and controlled with human intervention to avoid negative behavior. This is the case for any dog that plays with other dogs, regardless of breed or breed type.
• Pit bull types enjoy a zest for life that is often incomparable to others, but they can sometimes offend other dogs or scare people with their enthusiasm. Body slamming, jumping and sometimes grabbing an arm or piece of clothing is an exuberant (but usually non-violent) way of greeting, and can be interpreted or perceived as threatening or even aggressive. Because of their friendliness and willingness to engage, there are no parameters for some pit bull types when it comes to invading personal body space.
• Like any dog, pit bull type pups need to be well-socialized from a young age and taught self-control. Teaching a pup to greet a person by sitting rather than jumping is a good way to start, and a pup should be removed when play gets too rough or when the greeting is too energetic. This will help set boundaries that will guide the puppy into making better greeting choices.
• Pit bull types tend to be highly demonstrative and emotional dogs that think with their hearts rather than their heads. Some find it hard to control their impulses in different situations. Teaching any dog to think before acting helps to focus an emotional brain into one that is actively thinking and problem solving. For example, asking a dog to wait while his food bowl is put down and eat only when given a release cue, teaches valuable impulse control that helps focus attention. Pit bull types are exceptionally quick learners when given the right motivators.

Do Pit Bull Types Suddenly Explode?
There are countless stories of pit bull type dogs 'suddenly exploding'. This seems to be the common layperson's explanation whenever there has been a bad bite or a fatality, but the actual incidents of true explosive rage in any breed of dog are very rare. Many bites are the result of a combination of environment and circumstance. The signs of discomfort might be subtle and easily misunderstood, ignored, or go unnoticed until they come together in a perfect storm that ends in a bite. Dogs never bite 'out of the blue' or 'for no reason.' There is always a reason for every behavior.
Can People Cause Their Dogs to Bite?
Yes. All too often people get pit bull types and fail to give them the outlets they need, or worse, turn them into loaded weapons. Their ‘gameness’ and desire to please tends to attract the wrong kind of people who use them to enhance personal image and status, or as protection for themselves or their families. Many pit bull types are kept in the yard tethered to a chain their entire lives, causing hyper-reactivity and fear which has on occasion led to disaster. Until authorities take more notice of the other end of the leash and hold people accountable for their dogs’ behavior, the situation will remain the same.
Can the Number of Dog Bites Be Reduced?
The key to reducing the number of dog bites and keeping people safe is not to ban an entire breed, but instead to make all dog owners accountable and responsible for their dogs’ behavior while encouraging them to raise their dogs appropriately. Good socialization and using only positive training methods creates emotionally balanced dogs, a fact that science has proven again and again. Force free training and humane discipline is more effective, less confrontational and therefore safer for any breed of dog.
Mandatory education in all schools to empower children with a clearer understanding of canine body language as well as educating parents and caregivers to be more aware when mixing children and dogs will also keep people safer.
Why Are There So Many Pit Bull Types In Shelters?
In some cities in the United States pit bull type dogs account for half of all dogs that end up in shelters, and the devastating reality is that very few of them make it out alive. All too often, owners have damaged and abandoned these dogs to the point where re-homing becomes impossible, and it’s because of human irresponsibility along with media hype that the pit bull and other bully types are now a breed type many people fear.

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10 Things Only Pitbull Owners Understand

As with every other dog breed, the Pitbull is a distinct one of a kind dog. As an owner, you already know this. For those who are considering owning one, there are some things you may want to know about the Pitbull, prior to bringing one home.
 
From their attitude, to the type of things they will do or mess up in the home, to whether or not they are good with kids, as a Pitbull owner you likely already know these quirks your dog has. And, for all others, whether you are a dog lover or not, there are some things you will not fully understand unless you yourself own one of these great dogs.

Sure, to the outsider they seem distant, dangerous, and like the type of dog you do not want to anger. For the Pitbull owner, you know this not to be the case. These are a few of the many things only an owner of this dog breed will fully understand about the lovable animal.

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Biggest Pitbull in the world: "Hulk" lives up to his name

A bully pitbull that’s almost the size of a miniature pony has become an internet sensation after his owners released photos and videos of him online. Aptly named ‘The Hulk’, the impressive canine weighs a massive 173 pounds and he is still growing!

At only 17 months, The Hulk is already three times bigger than other dogs of his breed, and he’s already being hailed as the ‘biggest bully pit bull on earth’. However, his owners,Marlon and Lisa Grennan, from New Hampshire, say The Hulk is a gentle soul, and even let their toddler son ride him like a horse. “These dogs are very balanced and gentle – they are nanny dogs,” Marlon said. “I don’t think it’s irresponsible for people to have pit bulls and children. They’re dogs just like any other dog. No matter what the breed it is, it is hundred per cent how you raise them.”

Still, the Grennans admit that The Hulk “could kill someone if it was in the wrong situation at the wrong time” and “snap an arm like a toothpick”.

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Power of Pitbull: 'Timber' Rapper Reveals Plan to Become Next Billion-Dollar Brand

Don't underestimate the hitmaker (and new face of Playboy), who talks to THR about life as Cuba's underground hero, why he hasn't talked to Kesha since rehab and how he came to own the pop culture moment.

This story first appeared in the April 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

No offense intended -- truly -- but you can smell Pitbull from a mile away.

It's four days before New Year's Day 2014, and the Cuban-American rapper is performing a concert at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. As showtime nears, hundreds emerge from the subway into a fragrant cloud. There, at the chaotic, multicultural crossroads of Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush, a small army of perfume pushers hand out samples of Pitbull Man and Pitbull Woman, which retail for $30 for a 1 oz. bottle. The scent business is but one of the 33-year-old artist's name-branded products. Also in his portfolio are sponsorships by Dr Pepper, Kodak, Bud Light, Voli Vodka and, most recently, Playboy, which in March tapped Pitbull as the new global face of the half-century-old brand.

Such are the deals that come your way when you score nine top 10 singles, including 2011's "Give Me Everything" and 2013's "Timber," which both reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and have sold 8.5 million downloads in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. With seven albums under his belt, the past four released by Sony Music-owned RCA, Pitbull has merged pop instincts, business acumen and global ambition as profitably as anyone in the entertainment industry right now. And on a frigid New York night in December, he has no problem at all filling 10,000 seats (83 percent capacity).

“It’s a constant fight. Every day, you get up and fight. I mean that in a good way — it’s a way of hustling and being motivated,” says Pitbull of his moniker. Click the photo for more exclusive portraits of Pitbull.

Pitbull does not disappoint his fans. The show is a fist-pumping medley of mostly song snippets -- a verse and chorus of Jennifer Lopez's 2011 smash "On the Floor," just the hook of Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" from 2010, a few lines of the early-in-Pit's-career "Hotel Room Service" -- along with his own hits, such as "Timber" and "Give Me Everything," featuring Kesha and Ne-Yo, respectively, in video accompaniments. The crowd is an astonishing cross section: Kids and their parents groove alongside sexed-up 20-something couples and so-called cougars on a wild night out with girlfriends.

This is all part of Pit's master plan to follow a path forged by his Cuban predecessors: the musical and cultural icon Celia Cruz, whom he describes as carrying "all of our stories on her back"; the game-changing Latino TV star-turned-mogul Desi Arnaz; and '80s and '90s top 40 sensation Gloria Estefan, whom Pitbull praises for "figuring out the business part of it." And he's well on his way, breaking out of the Latin market to rank as one of the world's best-known entertainers. In a carefully choreographed tango that engages both worlds, Pitbull has ordained himself the great persuader, as comfortable in a corporate boardroom as he is on a brightly lit stage.

At a Four Seasons suite in midtown Manhattan the next day, Pitbull explains how a typical corporate sit-down goes: "I'll be sitting in marketing meetings where they're going, 'Well, this is our multicultural budget,' and 'We'll make this a multicultural campaign,' and I say, 'Great!' knowing that they see me in the context of the Latin boom. 'Oh, he's the next Latin this or Latin that. …' But in my mind, I know this is the general market. I touch everybody at the end of the day."

That's no empty brag. In a year, Pitbull can perform in 25 countries and as many as 150 shows (as he did in 2012), touring being one of many revenue streams he pulls in (Forbes estimates Pitbull's net worth at $11 million, but ABC's Nightline puts it at $20 million; sources hint that it's somewhere in the middle). Further proving his international might, Pitbull's "We Are One" has been named the official song of the 2014 World Cup in June in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After the South American jaunt, he'll release an album with Carlos Santana -- a cross-generational play, if ever there was one -- and kick off another U.S. arena trek in the fall with Enrique Iglesias. He'll spend 2015 touring the world again, likely playing stadiums.

One could cite previous Latin popularity crests -- Shakira in her "Hips Don't Lie" days, MarcAnthony or Ricky Martin in the 1990s or Pit's repeat song partner Lopez, a perennial on the radio -- as precedents for Pitbull's success. But he aims to be more than the next one in line. The blue-eyed, diminutive millionaire, who flies private everywhere (it's a rental: "There's a rule that says if it flies, floats or f---s, rent it," cracks Pit) in order to fit in as many commitments as humanly possible, has managed to bridge a cultural divide that few in the industry imagined he could when he started out a decade ago.

"In the beginning, I put Pitbull in the 'party music' category and would have earmarked him for a couple of 'turntable' hits," says radio personality Chris Booker of Los Angeles FM station AMP Radio. "Then it felt like he was really working it hard. He was on any platform that would take him, good or bad -- and it paid off. Plus, I've interviewed him, and he is genuinely lovely -- so nice that he's impossible to root against." Adds Elvis Duran, longtime jock at New York pop station Z100: "Pitbull is, in my opinion, one of the most dynamic performers of the last two or three years. When he's onstage, he just chops the trees down. ... And he smells good. We always make it a policy to sniff him."

The Pitbull epic began when his mother, Alysha Acosta, arrived in Florida from Cuba during the early 1960s as part of Operation Pedro Pan (or Peter Pan), Miami's Catholic Welfare Bureau's two-year effort to get youth out of communist Cuba. His father also came over seeking asylum, settling in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. Their son Armando was born in 1981, a year in which drug-ravaged Miami recorded 621 homicides and was eulogized in a Time cover story, "Paradise Lost." This was the cocaine cowboy era captured in movies like Scarface.

Pit's father and namesake, known in the neighborhood as a charismatic street hustler, often would take his son to the local bars, where the boy would first perform for an audience, reciting Cuban poetry from a bar stool as his father looked on proudly. Pit's parents divorced in 1985.

Bring up the Brian De Palma classic -- not universally beloved in Miami for the cultural stereotypes it spawned -- and Pitbull takes no umbrage. "We all have Scarfaces in our family," he says matter-of-factly. "[The movie] is the truth. It wasn't exaggerated. Scorsese, Oliver Stone, De Palma -- those guys were right on the money." Pitbull says he's seen it too many times to count and that a serious message sunk in: that he didn't want to end up like the protagonist Tony Montana. Rather, says Pit: "I wanted to be Sosa -- educated, good-looking, a good dresser, and he's the one who was running it. And notice, he never got his hands dirty. He sipped his tea. He was nice, not aggressive. And at the end of it all, he was the one that stayed. So I realized around 18 that Tony's the wrong guy to be looking up to."

What Pitbull learned from his immediate surroundings, besides how to sell drugs, which he did for a while, was the skill of connecting with people. That's his most powerful gift -- winning loyalty of everyone he encounters, from strangers on the street to dealmakers in a boardroom. He does this, in part, with a relentlessly upbeat attitude. Pitbull explains his six-year rise to the top in the exuberant idiom of a motivational speaker: "2009 is freedom; 2010, invasion; 2011, build empire; 2012, grow wealth; 2013, put the puzzle together; 2014, buckle up; 2015, make history." It's a mantra he shares with manager Charles Chavez, who says his goal is for Pitbull to become a billion-dollar enterprise. "We have a plan -- with the music, TV projects [Pit boasts a development deal with Endemol, producer of Big Brother], films [he's teamed up with RyanSeacrest for a TV miniseries on the Bacardi family], his businesses, the brands that we get involved with," says Chavez. "You never know, but it's the plan."

Pitbull is more confident, even willing to time-stamp the future threshold. "Do I think it's realistic to be a billion-dollar company by [age] 35? Absolutely."

Pitbull already looks upper-crust. Back in 2007, he ditched the corn-rows and baggy T-shirts of his early persona in favor of custom suits, sharp ties and fine leather shoes. He has quite a collection, including preppy wing-tips and moccasins perfect for an afternoon mojito -- or Pitbull's preferred cocktail: a Volito, two parts Voli vodka (he's a partner in the company), three limes, water and ice. He drinks, on average, three to four a day.

As savvy as he comes off in person, the rapper's shtick easily inspires derision, not so much from other artists (who all understand what it takes to sell 3 million albums) but certainly the media. He has taken the name-dropping of brand sponsors to a whole new level of shamelessness and has a propensity for random musings and shout-outs -- hilariously mocked in December onSaturday Night Live by guest host Jimmy Fallon. A typical jab was in the March 28 issue ofEntertainment Weekly: "If Pitbull plays [a concert] and no one is around to care, did it happen?"

This sort of snark was behind the hijacking of a Pitbull-Wal-Mart promotion back in summer 2012. A contest promised to send the rapper to the Wal-Mart store that amassed the most Facebook "likes." As word spread, gangs of nonfans conspired to "exile" Pitbull by voting for a store in Kodiak, Alaska (population 6,457). Pitbull played it by the rules he'd agreed to. Upon arriving at the remote island, where he was greeted by local Alutiiq tribe members and a life-sized stuffed bear, he spoke with humility, telling local news crews that he was "honored" to be there and showing no signs whatsoever of embarrassment.

Pitbull hardly is alone in applying street skills to the building of a music empire (think: Jay Z,Kanye West, Odd Future), but what he has done differently is stay committed to the middle class. You won't find a $900 baseball cap in Pit's future collection, as Jay Z had in his exclusive Barneys line, nor is he selling his fans on a life of excess. Rather, he sings, "We're at the hotel, motel, Holiday Inn." Says Pit: "The only business that I knew growing up was flipping -- if I invested five dollars, I knew I could get back eight. If I got back eight, that meant I could live off three, invest another five, get another eight, stack another three. That's what the music business is to me -- flip after a flip, a flip after a flip."

Applying those same rules to radio wasn't easy as his music was initially considered a problematic hybrid: "Too Latin for hip-hop, too hip-hop for Latin."

Pitbull makes no apologies for his devotion to the genre of his youth. "I fell in love with hip-hop because to me it was therapy," he says. "I could listen to [someone] and go, 'This is happening in his neighborhood, too?' It became my way of getting things off my chest without having to do it physically."

Says longtime Miami radio personality DJ Laz, who was among the first people to play a Pitbull song on the air: "If I told you that every kid could do it, I'd be lying [because] it's very difficult." A 20-year industry veteran, Laz says Pit's first attempts were "so-so," but once Pitbull started name-checking local neighborhoods on such early tracks as "Oye" (from the 2 Fast 2 Furioussoundtrack) and "Welcome to Miami," things changed swiftly. Says Laz: "Cities like Mango Hill, Allapattah, places most people would be scared of walking anywhere near, he shouted them out. I remember playing 'Welcome to Miami' on the radio, and people were hitting me up, [saying], 'Laz, he mentioned Mango Hill, he mentioned this, he mentioned that.' … I said, 'Yeah, this kid's the truth!' "

Keeping one foot in the underground and another in Miami's mega dance clubs, Pit started honing a more pop sound. "EDM ran parallel, and now DJs are understanding what it is to make a record," he explains. "Because before, if you go to the clubs, there was, like, a 20-minute f---ing beat, man. Five minutes is just the four-on-the-floor, and then another five minutes is the buildup, and then there's another two minutes of the build to drop, to finally hitting you with what you've been waiting for the whole night. So all I did was say, 'Hmmmm, wait, why don't we take that part, put it here, make that the hook and make that the verse? So now we're getting to everything quicker. Here we go, we have a record."

To take that track to the next level -- meaning, to radio -- Pit relied on his manager Chavez. A burly Houston native who grew up listening to Casey Kasem, writing down the top 40 each week and posting it on his bedroom wall, Chavez says he always has "watched the trends to know what was going on, buying the records, from 45s to albums, and then deejaying everything from skating rinks to clubs to the radio. … I just trained my ear."

It's a trait the 47-year-old shares with his No. 1 client, whom he has represented since 2007. Pit listens carefully for new sounds wherever they might come from. So you might, on one song, hear an Eastern European melody played on an accordion while another is a country hoedown. "As you travel the world, you hear a record somewhere that will take eight months or a year to get to the United States," says Pitbull.

"Timber," which features a harmonica solo paired with Nashville native Kesha's line dance-ready chorus, is an example of honing in on what's breaking elsewhere in the world and importing it back to the U.S. Pitbull divulges that he swiped Swedish DJ Avicii's sound for the tune. "It had the same ring to it," says Pit, referencing the acoustic, country- and blues-tinged melodies on the EDM star's 2013 album, True. "I was like, this is where it's going right now. We need to put this out ASAP. … No one's doing this, we can run right behind it."

DJ Laz wasn't so sure it would connect, giving it a 50-50 shot. Pit welcomed the risk. "I'm not afraid of a flop," he says. "Losing means learning, and a flop means go back in the studio and knock another one out." Dr. Luke, who produced the track with Swedish hitmaker Max Martin, says he never had any doubts. "It was instantly identifiable," he says. "There was no song like that on the radio."

By year's end, "Timber" ranked in the top 10 in 19 countries, according to Chavez, becoming Pitbull's second-biggest solo hit. (Pit currently is promoting the song "MMM Yeah" by newcomerAustin Mahone and "Wild Wild Love" by girl group G.R.L., whom he decided to collaborate with because "they've been grinding for a while.") "Radio is funny," says the manager, noting that at the time, program directors were saying, "There's too much Pitbull on the radio." As Chavez recalls with a laugh: "All of a sudden we give them this 'Timber' song, and it's, 'Oh, there's not enough Pitbull on the radio!' It's all about hits."

In 1999, the principal at Miami's Coral Park High handed an 18-year-old Armando his diploma with a dismissive, "I don't want you coming back to my school next year." In response, Armando rented a photo studio to take his own graduation picture, posing with the diploma, a middle finger and that million-dollar smile. The photo is still at his grandmother's house.

But today, Pitbull is giving children from similar circumstances the chance he never got by opening the Sports Leadership and Management Academy (SLAM!), a public charter school emphasizing sports as a way to connect disenfranchised youth with education, to the tune of $15 million in construction costs. "There is no way that you can tackle any obstacle or any issue around the world if you are not educated," he said in interviews as the school was opening in August. "That's why I fight for it." Pitbull is himself dad to six kids ranging in age from 1 to 11 (he never has married and prefers not to reveal the number of mothers, only to say it's more than one), and parents with one guiding principal: "Pitbull is Pitbull; Papi is Papi," he says. "I teach them that they will never live in my shadow. That they're going to be bigger, better, stronger."

Pitbull is evangelical about hard work. "Why do interns make the best CEOs? Because they got the doughnuts and coffee, they cleaned the bathrooms," he says. "They learned that building in and out." It's a principle that he more than backs up in his own life. In the three months following his Barclays Center bow, he has kept up a relentless pace, including headlining the recent iTunes Music Festival at South by Southwest, after which an inebriated Apple executive professes backstage, "I love you, Pitbull."

While "Timber" spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1, Pit's co-star on the song, Kesha, has been in and out of rehab. Taking a sip of his Volito, Pitbull says they haven't been in touch since she got out of treatment on March 6. "People need their space. The good thing is she came out on a high horse. Sometimes, it's a blessing in disguise."

Although it has been 16 years since he peddled and used drugs -- never cocaine, insists Pitbull, "smoke a joint here and there, have my little drink" -- the experience of abuse still is fresh in his mind. "I grew up around so many alcoholics and drug addicts that I saw early on in my life what I didn't want to do," he says. "I had a mother that went to Alcoholics Anonymous, I sat through the classes. I've seen the 12 steps, the chips, the whole nine."

Talk of Kesha's struggle not only reminds him of those trying teenage days, when his mother threw him out of the house for hanging out with the wrong crowd and dealing, it reaffirms the road he took to get here. "Thank God I didn't have to grow up in the public eye at a time when I was trying to find myself," he says.

Indeed, for Pitbull, success goes hand in hand with being able to handle it -- the timeless notion that says with great power comes great responsibility. He recognizes that not just in himself and his celebrity but beyond the borders of the continental U.S. to the homeland he never has visited: Cuba. There, Pitbull has become an underground hero to millions who have bought his (bootlegged) CDs. He hopes one day to see those fans up close and in person. "I understand them," he says of the connection. "Yes, there is a big disconnect between the generations. We have generations that grew up in it, and those that fought it, came here and built everything again. So when it does open up, my goal is to be ready to be able to handle that."

He envisions a welcome not unlike the pope's 2013 visit to Rio de Janeiro, where people flooded local beaches as far as the eye could see. "To make history in Havana and be able to perform maybe in front of a million, 2 million people, I'm hoping for that within the next five years," he says excitedly. "I can picture it in my mind."

With additional reporting by Michele Amabile Angermiller

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Pitbull: A look at a bling-less rapper that heeded mama’s words and forged an “old money” image

Pitbull in 2005, performing at Annette Strauss Artist Square in Dallas.

I remember it well. It was eight years ago, nighttime, and I sat inside an empty banquet hall at the Radisson Hotel in Dallas. Rapper Pitbull sat in front of me. The room was dimly lit. A couple of things about him immediately struck me. His only piece of jewelry was a watch. A nice watch, but hardly anything fancy or shiny. I would learn during our conversation that his mother advised him to look like “old money,” meaning no gaudy bling blinding you from the sparkling glare. She told him that if he decked himself out in expensive clothes and ostentatious jewelry he would look like “new money,” and the sycophants would want to bleed him dry of cash.

Pitbull still heeds mama’s words. Today he has international fame and total assimilation into the Anglo world of hip-hop, which he’s parlayed into product endorsements, TV and film appearances and recorded featured spots on singles by Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias and Taio Cruz, among others. Pitbull’s image, however, remains all about simple yet elegantly tailored suits, sunglasses and that’s it. Still no obnoxious bling.

So in anticipation for his concert Sunday night at Gexa Energy Pavilion, a co-headlining bill with trashy-pop singer Ke$ha, I reread my piece on Pitbull from 2005. It offers a look at a guy on the cusp of fame with some very unconventional ideas and plenty of refreshing honesty.

In a hip-hop music world where image tells the whole story, Cuban-American rapper Pitbull strives to debunk the look.

Sitting for a recent interview at Dallas’ Radisson Hotel, the hard-charging rhymer is all but nondescript in a striped polo shirt, jeans, sneakers, buzz cut and thin beard. Tattoos on his forearms and wrists are about the only immediate sign of street credibility.

At 24, he’s fresh-faced, lacking the sparkling jewelry that characterizes the hip-hop style. His debut album, M.I.A.M.I, which stands for Money Is a Major Issue, sounds straightforward even as he embraces the Southern rap, crunk, reggaeton and Latin hip-hop movements.

He’s no-nonsense in a genre he calls “a lie.”

Pibull in 2010. Dig the stylish shirt and tie.

“I feel hip-hop is a facade,” he says. “A lot of these rappers…no, cause they got guns…no, because they sell drugs, this and that. My whole point of rapping was not to sell drugs, not to be on the streets doing this, not to live with a leash, not to live an illegal lifestyle. That’s the way out.”

Pitbull, born Armando Perez in Miami, is the son of Cuban parents. He says he grew up on the streets moving from one urban neighborhood to another, from Wynwood to Little Havana, Hialeah to the Southwest area affectionately called “La Sauwecera” by local Cubans. He turned to basketball to keep himself out of trouble, but
he was still witnessing the street hustler’s lifestyle.

“Basketball still kept me in the streets to find out who was doing who and what was doing what,” he says. “I understood the street already. I already knew how to make money.”

He started rapping at 16, recording his own mix-tapes and circulating them locally. Later, he worked with rapper and record label mogul Luther “Luke” Campbell, who formed successful rap outfit 2 Live Crew and his own independent imprint, Luke Skyywalker Records.

When he decided to take the national plunge, he signed with another independent label, TVT Records, and made an album that embraced his Cuban heritage, the Anglo hip-hop world and his naturally bilingual rapping style. M.I.A.M.I. has produced three radio staples, “Culo,” “Toma,” which features crunk king Lil Jon, and “Dammit Man.” The CD, released last August, has sold a healthy 402,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, 14,000 of that total in Dallas-Fort Worth.

He’s enjoyed further exposure by appearing as a guest on the remix version of Daddy Yankee’s reggaeton hit, “Gasolina.” Plus, he’s on Cuban rappers Orishas’ new disc, El Kilo, and rapper Baby Bash’s latest, Super Saucy.

But the disc barely taps into Pitbull’s political thoughts or even his sordid stories of street life. He’s fiercely anti-Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. He’s written an essay published by The New York Post condemning the iconic status of Mr. Guevara. He does, however, manage to slip in a few tracks with more than just dancing and drinking in mind. Namely, there is “Hustler’s Withdrawal,” a diatribe against the drug dealing and illegal shenanigans by many inner-city kids.

He says he understood the need to record club-friendly, radio-ready tracks like “Culo” and “Dammit Man.” They represent a side of him but hardly the whole picture.

“You have to cater in order to be catered to,” says the unmarried father of two children. “The next album will be a different step where I can maybe touch more political views, maybe touch more things in depth and at the same time throwing records out to the public. Because at the end of the day, I gotta get played on the radio in order to sell records and feed my family.”

Pitbull today, the image is all about elegant tailored suits and little to no bling.

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Five facts about American rapper, Pitbull

Pitbull is an American rapper and businessman from Miami, Florida. He was born on January 15, 1981 as Armando Christian Perez. He was taught at a very young age, if you work hard in life, you will be rewarded. He lived his life that way, and so far it has paid off for him.

Always hustling

If you listen to his music, you will recall a line in a song of his. He says, “Always a hustling.” That phrase sums up his business ethic perfectly. He hustles to make money as a singer and business person. If you think his work is only music, you would be wrong. He has a fragrance line for both men and women. He started a TV production company and has partnerships with some of the biggest names in the world; Vodka, Kodak and Bud Light.

His stage name has a special meaning to him

He revealed in an interview for his autobiography, “Pitbull: Mr. Worldwide” that he wanted to be known as a certain breed of dogs for a reason. He said that pit bulls had a lock-jaw. They refuse to give up because they are too stupid to lose. And, it is against the law to own one in Miami-Dade communities. He said, “That is the story of my life.” He revealed he liked it when someone says he can’t do something. When he hears he cannot do something, something inside him exploded.


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. 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.

Dress to impress

The women cannot resist his sharp suits. He dresses to impress. You won’t find him in jeans, T-shirts, and a baseball cap. No way. He dresses in Armani's suits and leather shoes. He claims he dresses well to prove he has grown. He says it is a signal of maturity and wealth. Usher said that Pitbull would show up for a concert dressed in an amazing suit and sweat for two-three hours in it. He said he is committed to whatever he does. Usher went on to say,” I have mad respect for him.”

Tells it like it is
You may not want to hear what he has to say, but that won’t stop him from talking. He gives you a dose of reality. He doesn’t care if you like what he has to say or not. He will speak his mind, and you can bet what he is saying is the truth. He went after Lindsay Lohan in one of his songs. He rapped, “ I got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan.” She launched a defamation suit over the lyrics in one of his songs. She lost the lawsuit.

Challenging today’s youth

He wants to challenge young people in Miami to do more than they ever thought was possible. He wants the poor children to know that he has been where they are, but wealth is possible if you want it bad enough. He wants them to know with direction, they can be more successful than he is right now.

If we catch them at that little age, mold their minds, teach them what it is to be motivated, self-inspire, believe in themselves because coming from the neighborhood we came from no one believed in us ... this is changing the world little by little.

PitBull is a very interesting person. He came from a very poor household. Instead of using his indigent upbringing to feel sorry for himself, he used it as fuel to become a world-renowned rapper and business person. He wants to help other children become the next generation of leaders and business men and women.

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