Rewriting Latin Trap With Bad Bunny
Born in 1994, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio began singing at the age of five and spent innumerable weekends doing house chores while his mother played salsa and romantic Latin ballads. Post chores, Benito would return to his room and play Island rappers like Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderon and Vico C.
Rising to fame since 2017, Benito worked at a grocery store until the moniker bad Bunny was born. Soon, the star skyrocketed to fame by bagging gigs with artists like Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, Drake and J Balvin, bringing Latin music back to life and taking it international.
Having won the VMA for “Mia (Mine)” and topping the Billboard charts with his Latino and Spanish vibes, Bad Bunny brings a new sound to music. With a quirky wardrobe and androgynous looks, Bad Bunny defies the usual gender norms and machismo that he grew up with. With lacquered nails and hints of support for the LGBTQ+ community, Bad Bunny is a force to be contended with.
Having amassed over 19.8 million followers on Instagram and sitting comfortably at the top of the Billboard charts, Bad Bunny’s music brings the richness of Spanish and the romantic nuances of this sultry language to life by accompanying them with eccentric performances in his music videos and bringing a natural abandon of no-f**cks given.
True to himself, Bad Bunny is challenging the macho rapper identity that’s prevalent in his home country by singing about love, pleasure and “stealing your girl” while flashing his stunningly flamboyant wardrobe, painted nails and vibrant jackets – kind of like today’s Latino David Bowe and definitely a trendsetter.
With a career shooting higher than the stars, Bad Bunny’s take on hip-hop, meringue and salsa are infused into his music; with lyrics like symphonies and vocals so distinct, no one can forget this trendsetter or the unique sound he’s bringing to life. This in-demand collaborator has lit the stage with various artists. Expressing love for music and fans, he claims fame doesn’t matter as much as the former.
Motivated by love and passion, Bad Bunny is having the time of his life exploring the movie industry. And having stacked quite a portfolio of musical feats, Bad Bunny is definitely an artist we love – and will continue to for his freshness and bite. Using his platform, he highlights the issues that are very prevalent in society like politics and even abuse like in “Solo De Mi (Only My Own)”, a tale of domestic abuse and a campaign against a battery of women.
Definitely uncategorized and honestly one of a kind, Bad Bunny is anything but bad. Colorful, crazy, amazing and talented, there’s so much more to see from him. You definitely won’t be able to sing along, but as you stumble over his casually mouthed Spanish, you’re definitely going to move.
