Bad Bunny
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was born on the 10th of March 1994, in Bayamón and raised in the Almirante Sur barrio of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. His father worked as a truck driver while his mother served as a retired schoolteacher. He attended church weekly with his devoutly Roman Catholic mother and sang in the choir until age 13. His earliest musical memory involved receiving the record Aquel Que Había Muerto by Vico C as a Christmas gift at five years old. After graduating high school in 2012, he enrolled in the audiovisual communications program at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo. 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. In 2016, his song Diles caught the attention of DJ Luian from SoundCloud who signed him to his label Hear This Music. His single Soy Peor released December 2016 reached number 19 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.
Bad Bunny released his debut album X 100pre on the 24th of December 2018, which peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200. The album received an average score of 84 based on five reviews on Metacritic. YHLQMDLG debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 becoming the highest-charting all-Spanish album ever on the chart at that time. El Último Tour Del Mundo became the first all-Spanish language album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. Un Verano Sin Ti spent thirteen weeks atop the Billboard 200 and was named the best-performing album of the year. Debí Tirar Más Fotos won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2026 making it the first Spanish-language album to win this honor. Bad Bunny has won six Grammy Awards and seventeen Latin Grammy Awards throughout his career. He was crowned Artist of the Year by Billboard in 2022 and served as Spotify's most-streamed artist from 2020 to 2022 and again in 2025.
Vanessa Rosales of CNN 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 noted in 2020 that Bunny's style influenced fellow Latin artists who often now share his highly colorful mashup of streetwear and tailoring. In November 2021, Bad Bunny appeared on the cover of Allure showcasing his unconventionality within fashion which helped challenge gender stereotypes. Since March 2021, he has routinely collaborated with Adidas to redesign various collections within their sneaker line. Bad Bunny became a global ambassador for Calvin Klein underwear in March 2025 wearing the brand's Spring 2025 men's underwear collection. The advertisement generated $8.4 million in media impact value in 48 hours and received more than 3.7 million likes on Instagram and TikTok.
On the 22nd of July 2019, Bad Bunny joined artists such as Residente and Ricky Martin in taking the streets and shutting down the Expreso Las Américas highway in protests against government corruption. They demanded Ricardo Rosselló's resignation from the office of Governor of Puerto Rico. Bad Bunny released his music video for El Apagón on the 16th of September 2022 criticizing deficiency in the electrical network and constant blackouts from LUMA Energy. The accompanying documentary included reporting by independent journalist Bianca Graulau. He criticized then-President Donald Trump during a set at Somos Live! Telethon wearing a shirt that read ¿Eres Twitero o Presidente? After a rally held by Republican nominee Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in October 2024, Bad Bunny posted several videos on Instagram critical of Trump. He endorsed Juan Dalmau of the Puerto Rican Independence Party in the 2024 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election.
Bad Bunny's philanthropic efforts are mostly done through his Good Bunny Foundation established in 2018. Since 2018, he has hosted an annual holiday event called Bonita Tradición distributing tens of thousands of toys, musical instruments, sports gear, and art supplies to youth in Puerto Rico. In January 2025, he personally delivered musical instruments, art kits, and sports equipment to the Ángel L. Rodríguez Rivera court in Vega Baja. In 2019, he partnered with musician Marc Anthony to donate $1.6 million to rebuild Puerto Rican baseball fields destroyed by Hurricanes Irma and María. Their foundations collaborated with UNICEF and nonprofit LISC to reconstruct 25 fields prioritizing rural municipalities like Vega Baja, Loíza, Yabucoa, and Yauco. For the DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS world tour in 2025, Bad Bunny donated part of ticket sales proceeds to the foundation.
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Common questions
When was Bad Bunny born and where did he grow up?
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was born on the 10th of March 1994, in Bayamón and raised in the Almirante Sur barrio of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. His father worked as a truck driver while his mother served as a retired schoolteacher.
What albums has Bad Bunny released and how have they performed on charts?
Bad Bunny released his debut album X 100pre on the 24th of December 2018 which peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200. El Último Tour Del Mundo became the first all-Spanish language album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 and Un Verano Sin Ti spent thirteen weeks atop the chart.
How does Bad Bunny influence fashion and gender stereotypes?
Bad Bunny champions a new masculinity by wearing pink, florals, short shorts, and appearing with manicured long fingernails. He became a global ambassador for Calvin Klein underwear in March 2025 and routinely collaborates with Adidas to redesign sneaker collections since March 2021.
Why did Bad Bunny protest against government corruption in Puerto Rico?
On the 22nd of July 2019, Bad Bunny joined artists such as Residente and Ricky Martin in taking the streets and shutting down the Expreso Las Américas highway to demand Ricardo Rosselló's resignation from the office of Governor of Puerto Rico. He also criticized then-President Donald Trump during a set at Somos Live! Telethon and posted videos critical of Trump after a rally held by Republican nominee Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in October 2024.
What philanthropic work has Bad Bunny done through his foundation?
Bad Bunny established the Good Bunny Foundation in 2018 and hosts an annual holiday event called Bonita Tradición distributing tens of thousands of toys and supplies to youth in Puerto Rico. In January 2025 he personally delivered musical instruments and sports equipment to the Ángel L. Rodríguez Rivera court in Vega Baja and partnered with Marc Anthony to donate $1.6 million to rebuild Puerto Rican baseball fields destroyed by Hurricanes Irma and María.