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Seven Questions with Pitbull

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Pitbull recently did an interview with Vegas SEVEN where he talked about Time of our Lives, SLAM! Vegas, out dancing Enrique Iglesias, and more!

Check it out below!

What do you hope your die-hard fans will get out of your residency? What do you have in store for them?

To perform in Vegas is definitely an honor. [Think about] folks like Elvis and Sinatra, and all the amazing names that have been to Vegas. Also Vegas is deeply rooted in our [Cuban] culture. The idea of Vegas was spawned from Havana. [Right] before the revolution happened is basically when Vegas took off. It’s great and amazing for me to be a part of this platform.

As far as the die-hard fans and what to expect? What they’re going to get is energy, an escape for at least an hour and a half—not to think about bills, or all the other negative things in their lives—and hopefully, they leave motivated and inspired. As far as preparation, it’s real simple. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s all about adding on to what we have and giving it that little Vegas remix. We’ve been looking at the different stages and different setups, what the dancers are going to wear, what they’re not going to wear—hopefully they don’t wear much. They’re going to be up there sexy and sophisticated.

More importantly, what are you going to wear? You have this reputation, and you always come dressed to the nines. How do you manage to stay cool under that tux?

I love coming up looking real clean and sharp, and then getting sweaty and crazy because that’s what it’s all about—having a great time. When you’re up in the club looking sharp, but you’re dancing and having a good time, you’re going to be looking kind of like a mess. That’s a good thing because I want to show the people that I’m working for them and how much I really enjoy being up there performing. That way they can walk away and say that guy is a hard worker.

You recently announced that you’re going to open a Sports Leadership and Management Academy charter school in Vegas, something you did in Miami in 2013. How has sports and leadership contributed to your success?

[Participating in] in sports is important because it creates discipline. It creates punctuality. You understand what it means to work for a team. It also creates resourcefulness. When you throw all those things in a pot, that’s what allows you to become a leader. And the only way to lead is to lead by example. [I want] to mold their minds and teach them how to believe in themselves, how to work hard, and how they can accomplish anything as long as they envision it.
It’s amazing to see what a young mind can accomplish. We want them to be excited about education. So what better than to be doing algebra and have it based around football, baseball or basketball. And it’s been amazing for us. The school we have in Miami is a high-B school; we took all the kids in D and F schools, and now they’re in a high-B school. I’m sure it’ll be an A school this year. It’s the priceless part of the journey to help people really believe in themselves, inspire and motivate them. That’s when you can create, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, little monsters. That’s what I’m very excited about.

Speaking of your journey, have you had a chance to visit Cuba?

I went in 2001. I won’t be going back until it is completely free, and then we’ll be there doing a concert. I think 3 to 4 million people will be out there to watch that. And I can’t wait to live that dream for everybody who had to leave the country.

Have you thought about putting down deeper roots in Vegas?

The thing about the residency is that it is a temporary residency. I’m hoping that—well, I know it—will lead to a permanent residency, so I love Vegas and I love to be out there.
Ricky Martin was just in Vegas. Are you going to call him and ask him for advice?

No. I mean Ricky is great, and he’s given me the best advice in the world. He taught me to live la vida loca.

Who is a better dancer? You or Enrique Iglesias?

Ricky is a better dancer, but Jennifer [Lopez] is the ultimate dancer. Enrique? I can definitely outdance Enrique.

(Source: VS)

Pitbull has the Time of his Life at Opening Night of Vegas Residency

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Mr. Worldwide kicked off his Time of our Lives Limited-Time Vegas Engagement at The AXIS Theatre at Planet Hollywood last night!

The two hour show was packed with energy, fun, and of course, a lot of dancing! Pit performed hit after hit and had everyone in the crowd up on their feet!

“Pitbull’s mini-residency at Planet Hollywood is a brilliant, high-energy, not-to-miss show.” –Vegas Player Magazine.

Take a look at the gallery of photos from opening-night of Time of our Lives below!

Pitbull in Vegas!

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Tonight Pitbull will kick off his limited-time Vegas engagement, Time Of Our Lives, at The AXIS Theatre at Planet Hollywood!

Pitbull arrived in Vegas at around 6pm PT last night and then went straight to The AXIS to do interviews!

Make sure to tune into Extra today at 4pm CST to see an exclusive Pitbull interview where he talks about Time of our Lives, Empire and more! And Vegas fans, make sure to tune into FOX5 today to see another exclusive Pit interview!

Pit will start the party tonight at 9pm PT at The AXIS and PitbullUpdates will have full coverage on all of his shows! So make sure to check back to the site and my Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date on Pit’s time in Vegas!

And if you don’t have tickets to Time of our Lives yet, don’t worry! You can still buy tickets to the shows here!

And if you are going to any of the shows, make sure to add #PitbullVegas and #TimeOfOurLives to your tweets and posts!

Check out photos of Pit doing interviews last night and more backstage photos & videos here!

Pitbull Makes History in Vegas

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Pitbull recently did an interview with Las Vegas Magazine to talk about his upcoming Planet Hollywood limited-time engagement, Time of our Lives, at The Axis.

Read the article below!

In a week that finds him both enjoying the ongoing success of his album Dale and meeting with his team to lay recording plans for 2016, Pitbull shows no shortage of enthusiasm in discussing his upcoming “Time of Our Lives” multidate engagement at Planet Hollywood Resort. The Miami-born rapper performs seven dates between Sept. 23 and Oct. 7 at resort venue The Axis, adding him to the realm of Strip resident headliners and making him the first rapper in history to earn a Las Vegas extended engagement. It’s also happening during the final year of his seven-year plan for success, designated for “making history.”

“That’s definitely a part of making history right there, to even have this opportunity to perform in Vegas, because it’s something that I feel was … the idea was spawned and blossomed in Cuba, in Havana,” says the 34-year-old son of Cuban expatriates who named him Armando Christian Perez. Prerevolutionary Cuba’s tourism influenced the development of Las Vegas, and after Castro came to power many Cuban entertainers left the island nation for the Strip. “Vegas is something that is deeply rooted in culture for me and, I would say, my family, but to also be a part of what I would see as the (entertainment) elite in Vegas is amazing.”

It may have seemed an audacious goal more than a decade ago when Pitbull’s “Culo” was ubiquitously heard in Vegas nightclubs, but he has arguably made an indelible mark in the music industry and beyond. Dale is his ninth album and, due to its diversity of influences, serves as a metaphor for his hometown’s melting pot. He is in demand for endorsements, has his own brand of vodka, Voli, and an eponymous fragrance, hosted his inaugural New Year’s Eve television special in December and maintains a development deal for online content.
He can envision his name on Strip marquees for extended periods, though. “Obviously, that would be the goal, to have something permanent in Vegas,” says Pitbull. “But just to be able to have two weeks over there and really soak up the city, soak up the people, soak up the energy … for us on our career side it’s great. It’s only going to give us more ideas for records and opportunities, but more than anything it’s amazing to have this opportunity, and I’m still in awe about it.”

During his residency, Pitbull also plans to break ground on the Vegas version of his successful Sports Leadership & Management charter school in Miami. Florida recently made Pitbull its official tourism ambassador in recognition of his often-expressed civic pride, and politicians are rumored to have attempted to curry favor in advance of next year’s presidential primaries.

Pitbull has his eyes on a different prize, though. “Vegas is what it is now, and Cuba’s going to reopen,” he says. “I’m hoping to be the bridge between them, and be the one that performs in Vegas and also gets the chance to have a residency in Cuba once it completely opens up.”

Planet Hollywood Resort, 9 p.m. Sept. 23, 25-26 & 30, Oct. 2-3 & 7, $39-$169 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster

(Source: Las Vegas Magazine)

For more information on Time of our Lives, click here!

Pitbull Plans to make his Vegas Residency Permanent.

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Mr. 305 is taking over the 702 with his seven-date Sin City residency that launches September 23rd.

Pit’s Time of Our Lives limited-time engagement will take place at Planet Hollywood Resort’s theater, The Axis, from September 23rd through October 7th with tickets ranging from $36 to $169 (without fees).

This morning, September 10th, Pitbull talked with Ryan Seacrest on his radio show, On Air with Ryan and revealed that he is planning on making his stay in Vegas permanent. 

“When everything went down in the Revolutionary War in Cuba, basically the mob and everybody went to Vegas. So for me, it’s not only an honor like I said before, but it’s also deeply-rooted. So we’re going to take it from a temporary residency to a permanent residency!” said Armando on his Vegas shows.

For more information on his Sin City takeover, click here.

In the interview he also mentioned his guest appearance on FOX’s hit TV-show, Empire. Pit will be playing himself and he will perform the song, “No Doubt About It” with Jussie Smollett who plays Jamal Lyon, the new head Empire Records.

“I come on,  I do a performance and then me and Lucious have a conversation about some business,” he describes his guest role on Empire. “And me and Cookie have a conversation about what we got going on down here in Miami. It was a lot of fun.”

At the beginning of the interview he also said that he was about to go into a meeting for his World Tour next year!

For more information on his guest appearance on Empire click here and here.

Listen to the full interview Perez did on On Air With Ryan here.

Pitbull to open up Charter School in Las Vegas.

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Pitbull helped launch SLAM! (Sports Leadership & Management Academy), a Little Havana-based charter school in 2013. The charter now has over 1,000 students in attendance and many more on the waiting list. In an interview he did in Fall 2013 on The Late Show he said that he and his team just got approved to open five or six more charter schools. Earlier this year in January, he announced that he will be extending the SLAM! Miami campus by adding a connecting SLAM! Junior, which will teach grades Pre-K through 5th.

Now today, he announced in an interview he did with the Las Vegas Review Journal, if everything goes according to plan, he will be opening a SLAM! campus in Vegas in August of 2017.

“Man, to me, I think that’s what this whole journey’s about — you know, to be able to grab a young mind and teach it how to focus, believe in himself, work hard, envision and achieve, I mean, there’s no price to that.” Perez explained about his Charter Schools.

“So to be able to see these kids, I see me in these kids,” he said, “and a lot of these kids, I can look at them and know their story without having to even, I would say, have a conversation. So it’s… I wouldn’t even use the word ’empowering’… It’s something that I can’t even describe in words, to be honest with you.”

Like its Little Havana counterpart, SLAM! Las Vegas will offer a curriculum that focuses on sports-related majors, in addition to offering traditional-core classes to grades 6th through 12th.

“Everybody knows that kids love — we all love sports,” he explained about why he chose to use sports in the curriculum. “But the beautiful thing about sports is, you’ve gotta understand, it teaches general principles, as far as teamwork, punctuality, reliability and to be resourceful. So when you’re able to teach these kids around that and use those general principals and apply to anything they’ve got going on — you’ve gotta see these kids and what they’ve got … it’s phenomenal.”

He credits his own experiences with schools and education during his childhood, as to what motivated and inspired him to launch his own schools.

“Hope Martinez was somebody that changed my life and believed in me when I would say… not that nobody believed in me — my mom always believed in me — but she was the one that seen the musical talent and said, ‘Hey, you need to go to this video shoot, and that’s basically how this all started,” he recalls, “so she was, I would say, one of the first real visionaries in my life.”

“I’ve gone to…in my life, I’ve done about 30 schools,” he continued, “So growing up, touring schools in the public school systems, all I said was, when I sat down with my partner, and I said, ‘Hey, we need to make school exciting again, sexy again, where the kids… the kids get sick, they still want to go school. You know, they’re not looking for a cop out. How do we do that?’ Now he’s had an amazing system. All we did was took his system and just remixed it a little bit. That’s all we did, as far as taking the curriculum and making it around sports.” he added, “You know, the more kids that we can touch,” he stated, “and let them know, ‘Hey, I was you — I am you — and look what we’ve achieved by believing in ourselves.’ And using our stories as strength and not as, I would say, victimizing stories… it’s something that is, I’ll say it again, priceless.”

Read the full article and interview Pit did with the Review Journal here!

Pitbull Talks Vegas Shows, Dale, and more with Entertainment Weekly!

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Pitbull did a short interview with Entertainment Weekly where he talked about music, his new album, his upcoming Vegas Residency and more!

Read the article on Mr. Worldwide below!

Within moments of connecting with Pitbull, it’s apparent how he earned the nickname “Mr. Worldwide.” From collaborating with Latin American upstarts for his forthcoming Spanish-language record Dale to sharing the bill for a July concert with Keith Urban and Nick Jonas, the 34-year-old chart-topping rapper has a keen sense of his music’s global appeal.

“The beautiful thing about music is that it’s a universal language,” Pitbull tells EW. “If people want to categorize it, that’s cool. But I think that these people, to share a stage with them is showing the power of music.”

Perhaps that’s why Pitbull, born Armando Christian Pérez to Cuban parents in Miami, seems to flow effortlessly between No. 1 hits with Kesha, Dale’s young talent (“If I told you the names, you’d be like, ‘What the f—k?’” he quips), and mixed bills like the one with Urban and Jonas planned for the July 19 #PlentiTogether concert in New York. But Pitbull places himself in a more timeless context, evidenced as he waxes poetic about his seven-night Las Vegas residency scheduled for the end of September.

“Vegas was spawned by Havana, Cuba, back in the days when you had guys like Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel to get together and put up the Stardust,” he explains. “I feel like my culture is very deeply rooted in the blossoming of Vegas. It’s beautiful to be there, amongst the amazing names that have been there — Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, the Rat Pack. It’s definitely an honor.”

Honor or not, Pitbull plans to bring his usual party vibe to Vegas. “They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” he deadpans. “Well, what happens in Vegas with a Miami guy never happened. The night is going to be called ‘Convenient Amnesia.’”

That cavalier attitude dissipates when the conversation turns to Dale, only the second of Pitbull’s nine studio albums to be recorded entirely in Spanish. “It’s great to see young talent coming up, and to give them an opportunity and a platform to showcase that,” he says, referencing his perceived responsibility toward smaller artists. “It’s also a great learning experience for myself, because you always keep your ear to the ground and it keeps you on your toes.”

That’s why Dale, which takes its name from an acronym Pitbull has popularized on his records meaning “basically having fun with Armando,” epitomizes the rapper’s feel-good persona: “The album is all about great global music that’s an escape for all the negative things that are going on in the world.”

Pitbull’s New Residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas!

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iHeart Radio just announced on their Facebook page that Mr. Worldwide is taking over Las Vegas from September 23rd to October 7th!

He will bring Sin City to it’s knees for seven explosive nights at Planet Hollywood in Vegas! September 23, 25, 26, 30 and October 2, 3, 7!

Pitbull’s new mini-residency is called “Time Of Our Lives” and is only a limited time Vegas engagement!

Here’s what Pitbull himself had to say about his new residency, “It’s an honor to perform at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on the infamous Las Vegas Strip. It’s history in the making … From Sinatra to Elvis to Mr. Worldwide. It’ll be the time of our lives, Dale!”

You can win to MEET Pitbull on September 23rd on opening night of his residency here!

Ticket prices range from $39 to $169 plus fees.

The official pre-sale is this Wednesday at 10am through Thursday at 10pm!

The pre-sale code is: PITBULLVEGAS

Sale to the general public is on Friday at 12pm PDT!

To buy tickets during the pre-sale and general sale click here!