9781422276266

Chapter 2:

Pitbull’s Road to the Top

Words to Understand

expatriate: to withdraw (oneself ) from residence in one’s country. influx: the act of flowing in. dictator: a ruler who has absolute power and unrestricted control over a government. anti-imperialism: against the authority of one nation over another foreign country. socialism: government- controlled wealth that is distributed to the people of the country.

The Beginning of the Journey to the Top A rmando Christian Pérez’s road to the top of the entertainment business was not a smooth one. Even his stage name, Pitbull, reflects how he has worked hard and struggled to attain the fame and fortune he now enjoys. He was born January 15, 1981, to Alysha Acosta and José Antonio Armando Pérez Torres. His parents were expatriates from Cuba who came to Miami to escape Fidel Castro’s dictatorship. Alysha and José Antonio (usually called Armando) separated before Pitbull was four years old, and from that time on, he was raised primarily by his mother.

20

21

PITBULL

PITBULL

HIP-HOP & R&B