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Won’t the real Pitbull please stand up? In recent months, fans of Mr. Worldwide have taken to donning bald caps, designer shades, and black suits — just like the 44-year-old rapper himself — while attending Pitbull concerts. Well, the Miami-born rapper has noticed the viral trend, especially on his U.K. and Ireland tour last week, and seeing the love makes him “very, very happy,” according to an interview he gave the BBC on Tuesday.
“Every time I’m at a show, I let them know that when you put on a bald cap, I hope you’re ready to have the time of your lives,” he said. “It feels deeper than just music.”
People have cosplayed as their favorite artists in one form or another for more than half a century, getting moptop haircuts like the Beatles, sporting “Starchild” makeup at Kiss concerts, and wearing homemade masks to Slipknot shows. But few fan bases have gone the extra mile to put on bald caps, and Pitbull said he felt touched by seeing the special effort his fans put into their mimicry.
“It’s the ultimate trophy to be able to go on stage and see all the hard work that you put into the music,” he said. “I’ve been in the game for 25 years and to see every demographic, everybody [dressing up] at the shows is priceless.” (What’s even more special, he said, is “people coming up to me and say ‘I learned Spanish due to your words.’”)
Mr. 305 kicked off the tour at Ireland’s 3Arena on June 5 for a two-night stand and crossed the Irish Sea to perform at arenas in Manchester and London. On Thursday, he’s scheduled to perform in Paris.
