Pitbull, “Mr. 305” or “Mr. Worldwide”…whatever you call him, the Miami musical legend played a show at Hershey Park Stadium on Saturday.
While entertainment was on the menu, the rapper and singer who rose to fame in the 2000s shared the heartwarming story of how this all began.
Pitbull revealed that he never had the chance to graduate from high school because he moved around a lot and attended “25 different schools.” During his speech, the singer noted that one particular teacher gave him “hope” to do better and change his life.
“I didn’t finish high school because of certain circumstances, I lived in a lot of neighborhoods, I went to 25 schools, none of them bad, all good,” he told the crowd, “and it helped shape my character. Good neighborhoods, bad neighborhoods, worse neighborhoods, but one teacher changed my life.”
“When I was in despair, she gave me hope. The irony is, her name is Hope Martinez,” he continued. “When I was being a fool, she looked me right in the face and said, ‘I believe in you,’ and that changed my life.”
Through this life-changing moment, the singer said he was able to meet the right people to help him build a school for kids in need called “SLAM!,” or “Sports, Leadership and Management.” SLAM is a K-12 school focused on “delivering an innovative and thorough post-secondary education program that prepares students for college with an emphasis on sports-related majors and higher education preparation,” according to the school’s website.
The singer went on to explain that she enjoys investing in her children’s future and that fans support them and make them a part of the “SLAM!” family.
“We get to invest in their future,” Pitbull said. “So now I’m not gonna buy a fancy car, I’m not gonna wear big chains. That’s not my thing. But whether you know it or not, this is a celebration. Welcome to the SLAM family. You all helped make this happen.”
“Any time you’re in Miami or anywhere else, there’s a SLAM School, and we invite you to join us, because this is something that happens by design and by default with your help,” he added.