Bad Bunny
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (born March 10, 1994), known professionally as Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and record producer. Dubbed the “King of Latin Trap,” Bad Bunny is credited with helping Spanish-language rap music achieve mainstream popularity in the worldwide market. He is considered one of the best Latin rappers of all time. Born in Bayamón and raised in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny rose to prominence in 2016 with his song “Soy Peor,” which led to a recording contract with Hear This Music. He continued gaining traction with songs such as…
His feature on Cardi B’s Billboard Hot 100 number-one single “I Like It” alongside J Balvin and his top-ten single “Mía” (featuring Drake). Bad Bunny’s debut studio album, X 100pre (2018), peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200, while his collaborative album with J Balvin, Oasis (2019), reached number nine. His second solo album, YHLQMDLG (2020), became the highest-charting all-Spanish album to appear on the Billboard 200 at the time at number two, and was followed by the compilation album Las que no iban a salir (2020)
El Último Tour Del Mundo (2020), Bad Bunny’s third solo album, became the first all-Spanish language album to top the Billboard 200, while its lead single, “Dakiti”, reached the top ten of the Hot 100. His fourth solo album, Un Verano Sin Ti (2022), spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200, was named the best-performing album of the year, and became the first Spanish-language album to be nominated for
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year. He followed it with the Billboard 200 number-one albums Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana (2023) and Debí Tirar Más Fotos (2025). His accolades include three Grammy Awards, eleven Latin Grammy Awards, eight Billboard Music Awards, and thirteen Lo Nuestro Awards. He was crowned Artist of the Year by Billboard in 2022. He was the most-streamed artist on Spotify from 2020 to 2022, the second in 2023, and third in 2024. As of April 2024, Bad Bunny has sold over seven million records worldwide.
Early life
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was born on March 10, 1994, in Bayamón, and was raised in the Almirante Sur barrio of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. His father, Tito Martínez, was a truck driver, and his mother, Lysaurie Ocasio, is a retired schoolteacher. His parents often listened to genres such as salsa, merengue, and pop ballads. His earliest
His earliest musical memory was when he received the record Aquel Que Había Muerto by Puerto Rican rapper and reggaetón pioneer Vico C as a Christmas gift at the age of five. Some of the first CDs he bought growing up were from Marc Anthony and Víctor Manuelle. He has two younger brothers, Bernie and Bysael. He said, “I wasn’t the kid who got involved in the streets. I liked to be at home with my family.”
As a child, he attended church weekly with his devoutly Roman Catholic mother and sang in the church choir until age 13. After leaving the choir, he developed an interest in the artists he heard on the radio, particularly Daddy Yankee and Héctor Lavoe. His stage name originated from a time when he was forced to wear a bunny costume and was angry about it.
After graduating high school in 2012, Martínez enrolled in the audiovisual communications program at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, aiming to become a radio host.He worked part-time as a bagger and cashier at an Econo supermarket while creating music.He left university without completing his degree to pursue his musical aspirations.
Music career
2013–2017: Early career beginnings
He started to write and create his own interpretations at the age of 14,until, in 2013, he began to publish his songs through SoundCloud, including “Get” in 2013, “Tentación” in 2014, “Just let me know” in 2015, among others.In 2016, his song “Diles” caught the attention of DJ Luian from SoundCloud who signed him to his record
He signed with the label Hear This Music. His single “Soy Peor” reached number 19 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. Bad Bunny’s May 2017 collaboration with Colombian singer Karol G, “Ahora Me Llama”, reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. It was listed on “Alt.Latino’s Favorites: The Songs of 2017” as one of the best Latin songs of 2017.
2018–2019: Major breakthrough, X 100pre, and Oasis
In May 2018, American rapper Cardi B released a collaboration with Bad Bunny and J Balvin, “I Like It”, which topped the Billboard Hot 100. On October 11, 2018, Bad Bunny released “Mia” with Drake, which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100.
Bad Bunny released his debut album X 100pre on December 24, 2018, on Christmas Eve 2018 on Rimas Entertainment. The album peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200. On Metacritic, X 100pre received an average score of 84 based on five reviews. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian praised Bad Bunny’s “off-kilter creativity”. In 2020, X
X 100pre was voted 447th in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. On June 28, 2019, Bad Bunny released Oasis, an eight-song collaborative album with J Balvin. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard US Latin Albums chart. In July 2019, he joined protests against governor Ricardo Rosselló. Bad Bunny and Residente released “Afilando Los Cuchillos” (“Sharpening the knives”) during the demonstrations.
Public image
Fashion
Vanessa Rosales of CNN has opined that “in pink, florals and short shorts, Bad Bunny champions a new masculinity.” He has appeared at award shows with manicured, polished, and long fingernails. Ben Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian opined in 2020 that Bunny’s style influenced fellow Latin artists, who “often now share his highly colorful mashup of streetwear and tailoring.” In 2020, Bad Bunny collaborated with Crocs to create a glow-in-the-dark…
Since March 2021, Bad Bunny has routinely collaborated with Adidas to redesign various collections within the Adidas sneaker line to incorporate culturally infused elements that represent Bad Bunny and his life. In his first drop with Adidas, he stated in a press release, “I have always loved sneakers since I was a kid. They were the essential detail of the style I wanted and the look I wanted to have… It’s something that defines you and at the same time it brings people together.” Bad Bunny has redesigned several sneakers within the Adidas line, such as the Campus, the Forum, and the Gazelle, among others.
Philanthropy
Bad Bunny’s philanthropic efforts are mostly done through his Good Bunny Foundation (Fundación el Buen Conejo), which was established in 2018.The organization emphasizes youth empowerment, cultural preservation, and community development in Puerto Rico. The foundation collaborates extensively with local governments, educational institutions, corporations, and fellow artists to amplify its impact.
Awards
Throughout his career, Bad Bunny has received nine nominations at the Grammy Awards, winning three times for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album with YHLQMDLG (2021), Best Música Urbana Album for El Último Tour Del Mundo (2022) and Un Verano Sin Ti (2023), and he earned eleven Latin Grammy Awards out of twenty-seven.
Nominations. ASCAP Latin Awards recognized him as the Songwriter of the Year in 2020. Within the MTV award shows, Bad Bunny became the first non-English language artist to win the MTV Video Music Award for Artist of the Year in 2022.
Discography
Solo studio albums
- X 100pre (2018)
- YHLQMDLG (2020)
- El Último Tour Del Mundo (2020)
- Un Verano Sin Ti (2022)
- Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana (2023)
- Debí Tirar Más Fotos (2025)
Collaborative studio albums
Oasis (with J Balvin) (2019)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | F9 | Lookout | [218][219] | |
| 2022 | Bullet Train | The Wolf | Credited as his birth name | [220][221][222] |
| 2023 | Cassandro | Felipe | [223][224][225] | |
| 2025 | Happy Gilmore 2 | Oscar Mejías | Credited as his birth name | [226][227] |
| Caught Stealing | Colorado | [228] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Sugar | Himself | Episode: “Bad Bunny pays it back to a deaf fan who loves to dance” | [229] |
| 2021 | Royal Rumble | WWE pay-per-view event Performed his song “Booker T” | [230][200] | |
| WWE Raw | Several guest appearances[203] | [231] | ||
| Saturday Night Live | Season 46, Episode 13 Musical Guest, Performed “La Noche de Anoche” with Rosalía and “Te Deseo Lo Mejor” | [232] | ||
| Elimination Chamber | WWE pay-per-view event Appeared in a brief backstage segment with wrestlers The Miz and Damian Priest | [233] | ||
| WrestleMania 37 | WWE’s flagship pay-per-view event Teamed with Damian Priest in a tag team match to defeat The Miz and John Morrison | [234] | ||
| Narcos: Mexico | Everardo Arturo “Kitty” Paez[235] | Recurring | [236] | |
| 2022 | Royal Rumble | Himself | WWE pay-per-view event Competed in the Men’s Royal Rumble match | [237] |
| 2023 | WWE SmackDown | Guest appearance | [213] | |
| Backlash | WWE pay-per-view event Host of the event Defeated Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight | [238] | ||
| Saturday Night Live | Himself (host and musical guest)/Various Roles | Season 49, Episode 2 Host and Musical Guest, performed “Un Preview” and “Mónaco”. | [239] | |
| 2025 | Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special | Himself (musical guest), Santiago | Television special, NBC | [240] |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself (musical guest)/Various Roles | Season 50, Episode 20 Musical Guest, performed “Nuevayol” and “Perfumito Nuevo” with RaiNao | [241] | |
| Himself (Host)/Various Roles | Season 51, Episode 1 Host | [242] |
Video games
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | WWE 2K23 | Video game debut. Included as a pre-order bonus | [243] |
| 2024 | WWE 2K24 | [244] |
8 Comments