The Transformation Of Bad Bunny

From tooling around with SoundCloud mixes to creating record-breaking albums that changed the landscape of Latin music, Bad Bunny has become an artist for the ages. The Puerto Rican entertainer's untold truth is full of more than just music-making – it's accented by his political activism, his gender-nonconforming fashion sense, and even his penchant for comedy. But no matter what, it is the dual purpose of music and home that makes Bad Bunny the formidable entertainer he is today. Whether he is releasing new chart-topping records, embarking on sold-out world tours, or returning home to perform exclusive concerts just for his fellow Puerto Ricans, it is the joy of the job to be able to create music that will last a lifetime for Bad Bunny. "My only goal here is that the people will always remember my music and that they enjoy my music 10 years, 20 years from now," he shared with The Fader. "That people have great memories of these songs ... I'm ready to make songs that don't die."

Before he became one of the most in-demand music artists in the world, Bad Bunny was born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio in Puerto Rico's Almirante Sur neighborhood. Growing up, Benito was immersed in music in all forms. From singing in his church choir until age 13 to blasting salsa and Latin ballads with his parents and younger siblings, the entertainer was surrounded by the sounds of his homeland. Those roots have stayed in his music throughout the years, even as he's developed his own wild style. "I liked playing a lot with my imagination," he admitted of his youth to Fader.

Even as he began developing his own voice, he turned to his family to help guide him. As he began making mixtapes and experimenting with his sound, he would create playlists with his family in mind that stay with him to this day. "Every time I go to the west of Puerto Rico, I get flashbacks from those moments and it feels good," he revealed in a special Pepsi commercial (via People).

Eventually, those mixes turned into original songs on SoundCloud, and the persona known as Bad Bunny was born. As he progressed through his teenage years and even in college, he took to the platform to develop his own sound, and eventually, those tracks gained traction. While in college at the University of Puerto Rico in Arecibo, his tunes caught the ear of the popular DJ Luian (producer and co-founder of Hear This Music), and with his help, Bad Bunny's popularity soared. He became so popular that he was named the host of Apple Music's first Spanish-language show, "Trap Kingz," in 2017.

As for how he got his famous stage name, the inspiration came from a childhood memory. As a kid, he remembers dressing up as a bunny and a picture capturing his sullen attitude. As an adult, he turned that moment into a memorable moniker as a way of setting himself apart. "It's a name I knew would market well," he admitted to ET. "A bunny is something so common that I thought to myself, every time someone sees one, they'll remember my music."

It seemed a natural progression that the then-internet-famous Bad Bunny would begin collaborating with some of music's biggest stars to help his own star rise. From crooning alongside Becky G on "Mayores" to keeping up with Drake in "Mia," the artist began steadily featuring on several chart-topping tracks. The song that arguably helped make him a household name was "I Like It" alongside Cardi B and J Balvin. The song, which went on to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, catapulted the trio into mainstream global success.

When it came to creating the now iconic song, Bad Bunny admitted he was brought on as a surprise for Cardi B. But it was his chemistry with J Balvin, who formed a friendship beyond their collaboration, that helped solidify the experience as a memorable one. "We have great chemistry in the studio, everything was so natural," he shared with Billboard. The superstars even went on to record a collaborative album together in 2019 and were the only two male rappers who appeared in the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show alongside Latin musical heavyweights Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. The pair went on to allegedly have beef with each other, and Bad Bunny even went so far as to allegedly diss him on the track "Thunder Y Lightning."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bad Bunny's popularity exploded on a global scale. After appearing in the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show, he released the album "YHLQMDLG — Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana," which translates to "I do what I want." The album, which boasted a whopping 20 tracks that featured Puerto Rican icons like Daddy Yankee and Jowell & Randy, broke multiple Billboard records. It topped the Top Latin Albums and Latin Rhythm Albums charts and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. All 20 of the album's tracks charted on the Hot Latin Songs charts, and 11 of them placed in the Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously. The album went on to win Best Latin Pop or Urban Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards. That same year, he was crowned as Spotify's most streamed artist, with 8.3 billion global streams, and 3.3 billion of those streams came from "YHLQMDLG" itself. "When I make music, my vision goes beyond the numbers," the artist shared with Billboard. "That's why 'YHLQMDLG' is historic!"

He followed up the record-breaking album with an even bigger record-breaker: the 2021 album "El Último Tour del Mundo," which became the first all-Spanish-language album to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.

From 2020 onward, Bad Bunny made a name for himself beyond music. In 2021, he was named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People. "He's an artist, period," J Balvin wrote of his collaborator in the publication. "A true artist. Now he's at his peak, taking Latin culture to another level." Bunny was also featured on the cover of another storied media outlet; he became the first man other than original owner Hugh Hefner to appear solo on the cover of Playboy Magazine.

He also used his platform to amplify causes he supported. His song "Pero Ya No" was featured in ads for former U.S. President Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. Throughout the years, the musician has continued to make his views known, particularly when it comes to relations between the U.S. and his native Puerto Rico. He even publicly endorsed former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during her 2024 presidential campaign in response to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's disparaging remarks about Puerto Rico at a Donald Trump campaign rally. "We are the definition of heart and resistance," Bad Bunny shared in an Instagram video dedicated to his home country. "Here we continue, here we are, and for those who forget who we are ... rest assured, we proudly remind you."

Music isn't the only medium that Bad Bunny has taken by the reins. He's dipped his toe into the acting waters in both streaming series and major Hollywood blockbusters alike. His first major role was as Arturo "Kitty" Paez in the Netflix series "Narcos: Mexico." Though it was a different set of skills that he had to tap into, the artist-turned-actor still felt like he was staying true to form in a way. "The character is a cool, young guy, and I'm a cool guy, I think so," he admitted on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon."

He even took on Brad Pitt in the action flick "Bullet Train," where he played The Wolf, a dangerous crime lord who comes face-to-face with Pitt's character Ladybug in an intense (and ultimately fatal) fight scene. Despite the seriousness, Bad Bunny confirmed that the experience was an amazing one, particularly when it came to collaborating with Pitt. "You know me. I'm a fighter. I'm a wrestler," he gushed to Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 (via Billboard). "I was very excited ... Brad Pitt is a[n] amazing guy. He was always so respectful and nice with me."

Beyond the big screen, Bad Bunny has taken his theatrical skills all the way to the WWE. The star appeared at the 2021 Royal Rumble and made his way to WrestleMania 37, where he teamed up with Damian Priest to face off against foes like The Miz and John Morrison. Bunny, a lifelong WWE superfan, trained with some of the industry's big names like Adam Pearce and Drew Gulak, who shared that it was jarring even for someone who knew the ropes — or, at least, thought they knew. "He's competitive with himself," Pearce told Billboard. "But he never quits. He always says, 'Let's do it again.' He's all in. You can't teach that."

Bunny made yet another appearance at the 2022 Royal Rumble and again in 2023 at WWE Backlash. But even though he thought he was prepared for the physicality of the role, especially after training with some of the current greats, he admitted that there was still some pain associated with the job — particularly when Priest took to hitting him with a kendo stick. "I always believed since I was a kid that 'oh, the kendo stick, it doesn't hurt,'" he shared on an episode of "Hot Ones." "It's like this little wooden stick. But, f***. That hurt. Like, a lot."

As the world was emerging on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bad Bunny released the album "Un Verano Sin Ti" on May 6, 2022. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart and broke records again when it became the second all-Spanish album to land the top spot. The best part? He usurped his own record, as his 2020 album "El Último Tour del Mundo" was the first to hold that title. "Un Verano Sin Ti" remained No. 1 for 13 non-consecutive weeks and ultimately tied a record held by Drake for most weeks at No. 1 for a single album on the Billboard 200 within the last 10 years at the time.

The album also launched the singer's "World's Hottest Tour" in August of that year. The trek became the highest-grossing tour by a Latin American artist of all time, raking in a massive $435 million at the time. He closed out the year by being named Spotify's most streamed artist of 2022 and Billboard's Artist of the Year. But despite the big numbers and even bigger accolades, Bunny holds strong that he does what he does for the love of the music. "My goal will be to do things that I enjoy, never to be a billionaire or whatever," he told Harper's Bazaar. "If I don't feel passionate about something, then I'm not going to do it, no matter how much it is."

It's not just music and movies that Bad Bunny has been recognized for. He has shown himself to be a valuable ally to the LGBTQ+ community and was even honored with the prestigious Vanguard award at the 34th GLAAD Media Awards in 2023. The award is presented to individuals who are loud and proud in their support for LGBTQ+ persons and issues. Previous winners of the award include fellow Latin American icons like Ricky Martin, Antonio Banderas, and Jennifer Lopez. "I believe that when you have a good heart and you give love, that's what you receive back," he said in his acceptance speech (via GLAAD.org). "That's what I've wanted to do all this time with my music."

Bunny doesn't subscribe to a specific label, which is evident through some of his live performances where he has kissed both men and women. While he has mainly (and famously) dated women, he has publicly stated that he does not know where his preferences will lie in 20 years. He prefers to live in the moment. "It does not define me," he said of his sexuality to the Los Angeles Times.

While we know that Bad Bunny and longtime girlfriend Gabriela Berlingeri's relationship status has been on and off, the entertainer made headlines when he entered a relationship with model Kendall Jenner. What the pair's relationship was really like was more or less private, but that didn't stop the duo from being photographed exhibiting some major PDA. The majority of what is known about the private pair's relationship, which was reportedly ambivalent for around a year, is through high fashion campaigns for brands like Gucci and a plethora of speculative social media posts, something that Bunny himself is skeptical about. "It's a b****, social media," he shared with Vanity Fair. "You put it out there and it's forever."

Despite the red flags that signaled Bunny and Jenner were always doomed, the back-and-forth beaus reportedly have no ill will towards the other. They've even been spotted spending time together and supporting one another at their respective concerts (him) and fashion shows (her). And for his part, the entertainer isn't keen on making any sort of official announcement on his relationships. "I really don't want [people] to know," he said of his public relationship status when speaking to Vanity Fair. "I'm not really interested in clarifying anything because I have no commitment to clarify anything to anyone."

Whether he's making new record-breaking hits or cracking up audiences on "Saturday Night Live," Bad Bunny is all about supporting his homeland. He has consistently spoken up for Puerto Rico in the face of political disparagement and has taken time to focus more on the people and place he calls home. His 2025 album "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" shows him returning to his roots with a variety of musical styles that all center around his country. "[This album] recommits me to Puerto Rico," he revealed to The New York Times.

No matter what he does or what work he puts out, it is always with his country in mind. Whether he's performing in a special Las Vegas-style residency, where he was scheduled to play 21 shows with the first nine shows exclusively available to Puerto Rican residents, or traveling the world exploring different countries and cultures, it always comes back to the island for the performer. "It doesn't matter where in the world you are, Puerto Ricans who have been away from Puerto Rico for years ... sleep where they are but live in Puerto Rico," he shared with The Cut.