Rapper Pitbull and fans set ‘bald cap’ Guinness World Record at Hyde Park show | Culture
A tight plastic cap is not an attractive option for protective hats in 30C temperatures. But on Friday afternoon, 22,141 people in London’s Hyde Park opted for just that, along with white shirts, black ties and aviator sunglasses. This was both a tribute to rapper Pitbull, the night’s headliner at the BST festival, and part of breaking the Guinness World Record for the “largest gathering of people wearing bald hats”.
“I was speechless. Who would have thought that a first-generation Cuban would set and break records?” said the rapper, as he accepted the award in an all-black suit.
Pitbull, a bald man, had to wear a hat to enter the record. According to Will Munford, the official adjudicator of Guinness World Records, this was not a record for “largest gathering of bald people”, so Mr. Worldwide (the rapper’s nickname) had to “wear a bald hat to take part in record numbers” in order to be counted.
Munford said there were “400 volunteers at the entrance and in the area to check people individually” and “42 meter drone footage behind the scenes” to ensure accurate results.
There was such a high demand for hats before the concert that many people had to scramble at the last minute. “I’ve been to three different clothing stores this week and they’re all sold out,” said Lucy, 30, who came to see Pitbull for the third time. “He was worried that if they were the only ones without a hat in a sea of bald people they would ‘stick out like a sore thumb’. With 60,000 people it feels like an inside joke.”
The idea for a world record attempt didn’t come from Pitbull, BST, or Guinness World Records. It all started with a fan.
“This is all happening because of me,” joked podcast host and cultural commentator Jack Remmington. When BST announced Pitbull’s performance last year, Remmington made a “tongue-in-cheek” post TikTok video He claims that BST’s 65,000-person capacity is “enough to easily break the world record for people dressed as Pitbulls.” The video went viral and soon Remmington contacted Guinness World Records and BBC Radio 1’s Greg James, who texted Pitbull to see if he’d be up for the challenge. Mr. Worldwide replied playfully: “Dale!” (Spanish for “hit” or “keep going” and the name of one of his albums).
Munford said the record was “no innovation.” The decision to formalize the initiative was made partly because of the large number of people involved in making it happen, but also because “a lot of people who haven’t had the chance in the past are taking part in breaking the record.” It also helped create a pre-existing grassroots internet community committed to dressing like Pitbull.
The Pitbull impersonator trend took off in 2021, with just a few fans coming forward as playful lookalikes. Thanks to a few viral videos on social media, it quickly turned into a huge fan movement, and it’s now commonplace to go to Mr. Worldwide’s show dressed as him. The Cuban-American rapper has embraced the phenomenon by calling fans “bald” and selling the official Mr Worldwide Kit and bald caps on his website for £40 and £10 respectively. Both are sold out.
Bald-hatted Shawna and bald Jack, 33-year-old friends, aren’t die-hard Pitbull fans, but they came because they thought it would be a nostalgic night of carefree enthusiasm. “This is the least assertive crowd I’ve ever been to at a concert,” said Shawna. “The world is literally on fire, so why not put on a bald hat and dance to some of my favorite pop singers in college just to feel good?”
When the sun set and the rapper took the stage, he was visibly surprised by the number of impersonators who were shouting each song at him. Recalling the historic moment, he said: “It is a blessing and an honor to see bald people in London.”
