''Unfortunately, they haven't promoted us as artists the way they should have,'' Pitbull says of TVT. ``But I don't like to cast myself as a victim. I learned a lot. Now I just want out.''

He says record sales for Boatlift are off, because ``you can't get them in the stores. [TVT] hasn't distributed it.''

TVT executives wouldn't comment.

HE'S PAYING

''I'm on tour right now with my own money,'' Pitbull says. ``I'm paying for the bus, the hotel, the band. But it's crazy to see how the music connects with people. I was just in Salt Lake City. It was packed -- 14,000 people. I want to move on. I know bigger things are still coming.''

However big the future might be, Pitbull vows to stay true to the 3-0-5.

``Miami means the world to me. The 3-0-5 made me who I am. It's such a unique city. Now that I have traveled everywhere, I can say that what Miami has to offer is incredible. In the '80s, my parents used to call it the quinceañera, because it was growing up so fast. And it really has grown. But when I'm in town, I still hang out at the barbershop. I invested in a barbershop with Fademaster, on Calle Ocho, and that's where I be.''

Pitbull is proud to be street and to talk street, and he easily fits into all the gritty neighborhoods, Hispanic and black, where he lived as a kid. If there's one thing he has, it's cred. While the rest of the hip-hop world fetishes Al Pacino's Scarface, Pitbull can say he lived it.

On the song Que tu sabes d'eso (What do you know about that?), from 2006's El Mariel, Pitbull seems to be setting the wannabe gangsters of hip-hop straight, especially those who have questioned the white-skinned rapper who insists on weaving a lot of gritty Spanish into his rhymes:

'¿Qué tu sabes de viajes pa' bajo pa' Key Largo pa' recoger 100 aparatos en un bote cigarro? (What do you know about trips down to Key Largo to pick up 100 keys in a Cigarette boat?)

DRUG DEALER DAD

Pitbull says his father was a drug dealer in the '80s. He says he, too, dabbled in some shady dealings until, mentored by Miami's godfather of rap Luther Campbell, he turned to a better game.

``My hustle now is music. But I was on the streets. I'm Cuban from Miami. I was gonna have my hand in a couple of things here and there. But I don't glorify it. My father was deep in it. To me it was a blessing in disguise. Because it kept me from getting deep in it. Unfortunately, the youth looks at the drug-dealing thing like it's cool. But there isn't even that much money in it these days. Now you need an Internet hustle or something.''

Ask Pitbull about his parents, and, again, he keeps things real.

He has a strained relationship with his father, who wasn't always around, he says. And right now he's not talking to his mother.

''I still take care of my mother,'' Pitbull says. ``To be perfectly honest, I miss her. I try to see her, but, for some reason, she tries to knock me. I saw a lot of things growing up, and not only do I remember, but now I understand. I wouldn't want my kids going through any of that s - - -. They don't have to live the life I lived.''

Pitbull has a daughter, 6, and three boys, 5, 2 and 1. He lives with the mother of the two middle children.

``I'm trying to be a different kind of dad. I had three videos out, and I was still living in Opa-locka, because I wasn't going to move until I could buy my own property. I've never bought a chain. The only jewelry I have is a ring that was my grandmother's, but it broke so it's at the jewelry store.

``I've been trying to put my money in real estate. I'm not trying to make money off of it now. That's for my kids. When they grow up, they can do whatever they want with it.''

Pitbull is eager to get on with his career. He has had a few hits he's proud of, but he knows he has something better in him. He has so many vibrant scenes to capture about growing up hardcore in the 3-0-5. And he has told chunks of that story already.

But he wants to work on a full narrative about a Miami that few others know like he does.

``I've never been able to lock myself in a studio and really go to work. I haven't turned in my classic. I don't have my Doggystyle. I haven't done my best work yet. But I will.''

THE NEXT THING

In the meantime, there's always the next hustle.

'I wanna do women's heels. Everybody else [in hip-hop] does tennis shoes. But I have always had a fetish for heels. I like them tall. But not like Jimmy Choos. They're too expensive. They can be 50 percent less, even 75 percent less and still be better shoes. I mean, I ain't knockin' Jimmy Choo's hustle. They're killin'.''

Join the discussion

Note: If this is your first time using our NEW commenting system, you will have to LOG OUT and then LOG BACK IN.

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

@Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@