Bad Bunny

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known as Bad Bunny, was born on March 10, 1994. He is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer. He is famous for helping Spanish-language rap become popular around the world and is called the "King of Latin Trap."

Bad Bunny became well-known in 2016 with his song "Diles". He gained even more fame with hits like "I Like It" and "Mía". His albums, such as X 100pre and YHLQMDLG, became very popular. In 2026, he performed at the Super Bowl LX halftime show.

Besides music, Bad Bunny has won many awards and has performed in professional wrestling, including at WrestleMania 37. He has also acted in movies like Bullet Train and Cassandro.

Early life

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was born on March 10, 1994, in Bayamón and grew up in Almirante Sur, a neighborhood in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. His father was a truck driver, and his mother was a schoolteacher. He has two younger brothers named Bernie and Bysael. His family enjoyed listening to music like salsa, merengue, and pop ballads.

When he was five, he got a special gift—a music record by a Puerto Rican rapper named Vico C. He loved music and sang in his church’s choir until he was thirteen. Later, he listened to artists like Daddy Yankee on the radio. His stage name, Bad Bunny, came from a time when he had to wear a bunny costume and didn’t like it, but he thought it would be a good name for his music. After finishing high school, he tried to study at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo but decided to focus on making music instead. He worked at a local supermarket while creating songs.

Music career

2013–2019: Beginnings, X 100pre, and Oasis

Main articles: X100pre and Oasis

Bad Bunny began creating music at just 14 years old. In 2016, his song "Diles" caught the attention of a music producer who signed him to a record label. His single "Soy Peor", released in late 2016, reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. In 2017, he worked with Colombian singer Karol G on "Ahora Me Llama", which reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.

Bad Bunny started hosting a Spanish-language music show in 2017 and later released his first album, X 100pre, in late 2018. He followed this with another album, Oasis, in 2019.

2020–2021: YHLQMDLG, Las que no iban a salir, and El Último Tour Del Mundo

In 2020, Bad Bunny performed at the Super Bowl halftime show and released the album YHLQMDLG. This album was very popular and became the highest-charting all-Spanish album at the time. He also released a special collection of songs called Las que no iban a salir.

Later in 2020, he released El Último Tour Del Mundo, which became the first all-Spanish album to reach number one on the Billboard 200.

2022–2023: Un Verano Sin Ti and Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana

Main articles: Un Verano Sin Ti and Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana

In 2022, Bad Bunny released Un Verano Sin Ti, which became the best-performing album of the year and broke streaming records. In 2023, he released Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, continuing to share new music with his fans.

2024–present: Debí Tirar Más Fotos and Super Bowl LX halftime show

Main article: Debí Tirar Más Fotos

In 2024, Bad Bunny released Debí Tirar Más Fotos, focusing on his roots in Puerto Rico. In 2025, he announced a world tour and later headlined the Super Bowl LX halftime show in 2026, becoming the first solo Latino artist to do so. His performance was watched by millions and celebrated his culture and heritage.

Artistry

Bad Bunny is known for his fast-paced singing and rapping style, especially in Latin trap and reggaeton music. His songs often mix many different music types, like pop, rock, hip-hop, and even traditional styles such as salsa and merengue. He draws inspiration from many artists across many genres.

Some of his influences include Héctor Lavoe, Daddy Yankee, and Ricky Martin. Bad Bunny’s music talks about many feelings, such as humor, love, and acceptance, making his songs connect with many listeners around the world.

Public image

Fashion

Bad Bunny has become known for his colorful and unique style in fashion. He has appeared at big events with very long and carefully styled fingernails. His style has influenced many other Latin artists, who now often mix bright colors and different types of clothing together.

In 2020, Bad Bunny worked with Crocs to make special glow-in-the-dark shoes inspired by his album. Since 2021, he has worked with Adidas to redesign many of their sneakers, adding special details that reflect his life and culture. In 2024, he was one of the co-chairs of a big fashion event called the Met Gala. In 2025, he became a global ambassador for Calvin Klein underwear, and his campaign for their Spring 2025 collection received lots of attention online.

Activism

Puerto Rico

Bad Bunny has spoken out about many important issues in Puerto Rico. After Hurricane Maria caused a lot of damage in 2017, he performed at a concert to help raise money for relief efforts. In 2019, he joined a protest against the governor of Puerto Rico and called for him to step down. In 2022, he released a music video that talked about problems with electricity and blackouts in Puerto Rico. He has also spoken out against unfair treatment of Puerto Rico and has supported independence for the island.

Immigration advocacy

Bad Bunny has also spoken out about the treatment of immigrants. In 2025, he decided not to have concerts in the continental United States because he was worried that authorities might target his fans. At the Grammy Awards in 2026, he spoke out against unfair treatment of immigrants and dedicated his award to people who left their homes to follow their dreams.

Philanthropy

Good Bunny Foundation

Bad Bunny started the Good Bunny Foundation in 2018 to help young people and communities in Puerto Rico. Every year, he hosts an event where he gives out toys, musical instruments, and sports gear to children in need. In 2019, he helped rebuild baseball fields that were damaged by hurricanes. In 2024, he started a campaign to give money to people working on projects to help Hispanic communities. During his 2025 world tour, he also donated part of the ticket sales to his foundation.

Personal life

Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, prefers to keep details of his personal life private. He has had several relationships over the years. He dated lawyer Carliz De La Cruz Hernández from 2011 until they broke up in 2016. He later had an on-and-off relationship with jewelry designer Gabriela Berlingeri starting in 2017. During their breaks, he dated other public figures, including Argentine rapper Cazzu and American model Kendall Jenner.

Bad Bunny has spoken about his views on relationships and identity. He has shared that he supports the LGBTQ+ community and has shown this through his actions and performances. For example, he wore a shirt to raise awareness about the death of a person in Puerto Rico and kissed a male dancer during a performance. His openness and support have made him an inspiration for many.

Professional wrestling

In 2021, Bad Bunny started appearing in the American wrestling show WWE. At a big event called the Royal Rumble on January 31, he sang his song "Booker T" with a former wrestler who shared the same name. Later, he helped in a match by surprising some wrestlers, The Miz and John Morrison.

Bad Bunny kept showing up on WWE’s weekly show, Monday Night Raw, teaming up with another wrestler, Damian Priest. With Priest’s help, Bad Bunny even won a special championship called the 24/7 Championship for a short time.

He trained for months to get ready for his first big wrestling match, which happened at WrestleMania 37. There, he and Priest won against The Miz and Morrison in a team match.

Bad Bunny came back to WWE in 2022 for another big Royal Rumble event. He was one of the last few wrestlers left before being eliminated. In 2023, he was added as a special character in the video game WWE 2K23.

Later in 2023, Bad Bunny helped a wrestler named Rey Mysterio during a match at WrestleMania 39. This led to a fight with a group called The Judgment Day. After a disagreement with his old teammate, Damian Priest, Bad Bunny joined a group called the Latino World Order to face them. Instead of hosting an event, he challenged Priest to a tough match at Backlash, and Bad Bunny won.

Awards

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny has won many awards for his music. He has received sixteen nominations at the Grammy Awards and won six times, including for his albums YHLQMDLG, El Último Tour Del Mundo, Un Verano Sin Ti, and Debí Tirar Más Fotos. He has also earned seventeen Latin Grammy Awards out of fifty-two nominations. In 2020, he was recognized as the Songwriter of the Year by the ASCAP Latin Awards. At the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, Bad Bunny became the first artist who does not sing in English to win Artist of the Year.

At the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, Bad Bunny made history by winning Album of the Year with a Spanish-language album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos. He dedicated this award to immigrants chasing their dreams. The governor of California announced that February 8, 2026, would be Bad Bunny Day to celebrate his Super Bowl halftime performance.

Records and achievements

Bad Bunny has set many records in music. In January 2025, with the release of Debí Tirar Más Fotos, he became the first Latin artist to have more than 100 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with a total of 113 songs. Twelve of his songs reached the top 10, and one song, "I Like It" with Cardi B and J Balvin, was number one.

On Spotify, Bad Bunny has been the most-streamed artist in the world four times (2020, 2021, 2022, and 2025). In 2020, he was the first artist who does not sing in English to top Spotify's year-end list. His 2025 total of 19.8 billion streams was mostly from Debí Tirar Más Fotos, which was also the most-streamed album in the world that year.

His album Un Verano Sin Ti became the most-streamed album in Spotify history and was the first Spanish-language album nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Discography

Bad Bunny has released several solo albums, including X 100pre in 2018, YHLQMDLG and El Último Tour Del Mundo in 2020, Un Verano Sin Ti in 2022, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana in 2023, and Debí Tirar Más Fotos in 2025.

He also worked with another artist on a collaborative album called Oasis with J Balvin in 2019.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Tours and residencies