[artist id="1678002"]Pitbull[/artist] has come a long way from battling MCs in the back alleys of Miami. After a decade in the music game, Pit is a bigger star than he's ever been. His "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" is currently a top-20 single and "Hotel Room Service" is #10 in the country. His album Rebelution just arrived in stores and, regardless of the sales tally next week, Pit has evolved into an international star.

"As far as my career goes ... when this tsunami that's about to come in [arrives], we're prepared for it," he said about his new level of fame. "All this has been an experiment, an education. A lot of people experience fame, money or fortune and they're not prepared for it. It is something that's a drug when they're not prepared for it. So everything that happened to me, the days with Luke, what happened with TVT Records, what we went through with TVT and how we fought our way out of that situation now to be business partners with one of the biggest record companies in the world -- it's definitely a blessing. If you continue to work hard, let that be the fuel to your fire. We've survived."

Pit says his international appeal is due to picking up inspiration from his travels around the world. But when he tests his material out at home, he knows what his smashes are going to be.

"Simplicity is the key to success," he explained. "My biggest A&Rs are my kids. If I see my kids singing it, I say, 'Uh oh, it's a problem.'"