The thing with me and endorsements is it's harder for me to get endorsements because of the simple fact that I want in.
I never worry 'cause people always try to categorize me. "Oh, that's reggaeton." "Oh, he's a Latin rapper." "Oh, he's crunk." "Oh, he's a Southern rapper," or, "He's a club rapper." As long as they're listening to the music and they're talkin' about it, one way or the other, that means I'm doing something right.
Since I've been in this industry, it's been a constant fight; "Oh, he's white, he's Cuban." "He's tryin' to do hip-hop and he's too Spanish, he's too English."You fight all these stereotypes through all these boundaries, and you find a way to tap-dance through all these different genres and cultures through music - that's what Rebelution is.
If you look at Cuba what's the benefit in being in Cuba? Really? It's almost like being in prison. You can't think. You can't have your own opinions. You have no opportunity. You just gotta live life the way you were born into it.
You know, Steve Jobs came to the music industry and pitched them the idea and they kept shootin' him down and shootin' him down, and now he makes money off the whole music industry regardless. Which is a minor part of his empire, 'cause obviously it's gadgets that make him all of his money. But regardless, he has basically monopolized the music game.
The people in Cuba, they know what I stand for, and there's a lot of people in Cuba that stand for the same. But they can't say it.
It's the true meaning of music being a universal language, constantly fighting and going through different boundaries in order for new people to hear the music and be like, "Oh, sh*t! I mess with this Pitbull kid."
One thing that's never gonna go, you know, go sour is good music.
I'm taking a lot of freestyle music and flipping it.
If you look at any movement Hip Hop would be the most influential in the last maybe 15, 20 years.
My whole thing is I don't take from Castro being an intelligent man as long as he is doing the thing that needs to be done. But the thing is at the end of the day you're not bettering the island. You're only making it worse. So, for me it's just making sure that people have the right to speak their minds and have an opportunity in life to better their life.
I don't agree when the USA, that lives by a constitution, says, OK, just because you look this way, we're going to ask you for your documentation, or you gotta go back to your country.
Music to me is something I did as a hobby.
I feel like I've been fighting in music and creating new ways and new opportunities to make things work even when people thought it wouldn't.
