Pitbull Opens Up About His Cuban Roots on Jay-Z’s ‘Open Letter’
Jay-Z's blistering track 'Open Letter' has caused quite a stir both on the Internet and in the political worlds. Cuban-American rapper Pitbull has released his own version of the song to help educate people about the politics surrounding the country.
On the bilingual track, the Miami-based rhymer details America and Cuba's tumultuous history from the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis to the controversial deportation of 7-year-old Miami refugee Elián González to Cuba in 2000.
"I ain't here to hold a grudge / I love the freedom that's been giving to us / Now break down us / Get it, U.S. / That's right, God bless," he spits.
"It’s the freedom that we rap for," he adds. " It’s the freedom that we die for. C-U-B-A, hope to see you free one day.”
At the end of the song, Pitbull throws a quick jab at politicians who criticized Jay-Z and Beyonce's wedding anniversary trip to Cuba. "Question of the night, would they have messed with Mr. Carter if he was white?" he raps, adding, "Happy fifth year anniversary, Jay and B / Don’t worry, it’s on me."
Although Pitbull did an honorable job defending Jayonce's Havana vacation, their harshest critic, Republican senator and second generation Cuban-American Marco Rubio called their trip "hypocritical."
"Quite frankly, I think it’s hypocritical of the people who took that trip, because they didn’t go down there and meet with some of the people that are actually in trouble today," Rubio told CNN’s Candy Crowley on 'State of the Union.' "If they really wanted to know what was going on in Cuba, they should have met with some of the people that are suffering there, not simply smoke cigars and taken a stroll down the street."
Whatever your opinion is of Jayonce's trip, you have to appreciate the fact that both Jay-Z and Pitbull's 'Open Letter' is creating dialog about the politics surrounding Cuba.
Y'all gonna learn today.
Listen to Pitbull's 'Open Letter' (Jay-Z's Song)