Bad Bunny bio, age, height, girlfriend, albums, ethnicity, career path 2025

Bad Bunny's Biography

In under a decade, Bad Bunny has built an incredible career, going from uploading unknown tracks on SoundCloud to dropping hit albums, working with global superstars, and snagging a Grammy. Since 2020, he's claimed the title of Spotify's most-streamed artist three times running.

The rapper is proud of his Puerto Rican heritage. He raps not only in English but also in Spanish.

Critics say the secret to his success lies in his one-of-a-kind style and endless energy. Bad Bunny really does it all: dropping tracks, jumping into wrestling rings, championing social causes, and starring in movies. His charisma even caught the eye of one of the world's most famous women – in 2023, he started dating Kendall Jenner.

Early Years

Bad Bunny's real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio. He was born on March 10, 1994, in Puerto Rico. He later got two younger brothers, Bysael and Bernie. The family wasn't well-off: his father, Tito Martinez, drove trucks, while his mother, Luisa, taught English before retiring early. At home, she'd play salsa and Spanish ballads, so Benito grew up surrounded by music.

On Sundays and Saturdays, when it was time to clean the house, when I heard those records, I knew I would have to at least mop the floor or something

His early years were pretty peaceful – no street fights or bad influences. He mostly spent time at home with his family.

From a young age, he aspired to be a singer. He attended church weekly with his mother. Eventually, he got invited to sing in the local choir, staying until 2007. At 13, he left the group when he got interested in a different kind of music. His idols became Puerto Rican rappers Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderon, and Vico C.

His parents had big dreams for his future: his mom wanted her oldest son to become an engineer, while his dad hoped for a baseball player in the family (a dream later fulfilled by Báizel, who graduated from the Beltrán Baseball Academy). Teachers thought he had what it takes to become a firefighter.

But when he performed Juanes' "Mala Gente" at a middle school talent show, everyone knew music was going to be huge in his life. Even though he was shy, in high school he'd entertain his friends with spontaneous freestyle rap. That's when he began using the pseudonym Bad Bunny.

The nickname came from a school event where he had to dress up as a cute rabbit. Photos caught him looking absolutely furious. He really wasn't happy about it, but the family nickname stuck.

Besides music, as a teenager, Benito loved skateboarding and enjoyed watching wrestling matches.

After graduating in 2012, Ocasio enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico, majoring in audiovisual communication. He worked part-time at a local supermarket as a packer to save some money. But during his first year, he failed almost all his general education courses because he spent his free time writing songs. "I didn't release tracks until I felt fully ready, in terms of flow, rhythm, and lyrics," the rapper said in a later interview.

First Steps

In 2014, Bad Bunny started uploading his songs to SoundCloud after a friend suggested the DJ platform. Unexpectedly, one of his tracks, "Diles," went viral—tens of thousands of users shared it, and within a short time, over a million people had listened to it.

Diles - Bad Bunny, Ozuna, Farruko, Arcangel, Ñengo Flow

Listeners found Bad Bunny's music refreshing. In his music, he blended Puerto Rican motifs with trap, always recording in his native Spanish.

After "Diles" took off, renowned DJ Luian reached out to the musician, signing him to his label, Hear This Music. This move opened doors for Ocasio to collaborate with other talented Latin American artists. Through these collaborations, the rapper cracked the top 10 of the Hot Latin Songs chart. Especially popular was his single "Soy Peor."

BAD BUNNY - SOY PEOR (Official Video)

In 2016, Benito started working with Noah Assad, the founder of Rimas Entertainment, a major player in the Latin American trap music scene. Even then, Bad Bunny wasn't sure about his future and was still handing out resumes to stores looking for work.

However, Assad's strategic approach paid off: he advised the musician to focus on singles rather than full-length albums. In 2017, Ocasio dropped the track "Tu No Metes Cabra", followed months later by "Te Boté" and "Sensualidad". Their music videos racked up millions of views on YouTube.

BAD BUNNY - TÚ NO METES CABRA

Rise to Stardom

In 2018, Bad Bunny collaborated with Cardi B and J Balvin on the track "I Like It". He showcased his bilingual rapping skills, seamlessly switching between Spanish and English. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That July, Benito brought "I Like It" to the Tomorrowland festival stage.

Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin - I Like It

Later that fall, he dropped "Mia" featuring Drake. Their hit reached the number one spot on the Latin Billboard Hot 100. He also collaborated with Jennifer Lopez ("Te Guste") and Enrique Iglesias ("El Baño"). 2018 also saw the release of his debut studio album, "X 100pre".

BAD BUNNY x DRAKE - MÍA

Two years later, his sophomore album "YHLQMDLG" became a massive hit. Bad Bunny became Spotify's most-streamed artist worldwide in 2020 – making history as the first non-English speaking artist to claim this title. The album earned him a Grammy award.

In 2020, the rapper also performed at the Super Bowl halftime show alongside Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. He became the first Latin American artist to land a Rolling Stone cover. Additionally, Time magazine recognized him as one of the hundred most influential people in the world.

Fame didn't slow Bad Bunny down – he kept grinding. By year's end, he dropped the all-Spanish album "El Último Tour Del Mundo," which shot straight to #1 on the Billboard 200.

The following year, he recorded "La Noche de Anoche" with artist Rosalía. His single "Yonaguni" made it to the top-10 of the US Billboard Hot 100. Come December, Benito had locked in his second straight year as Spotify's most-streamed artist. He repeated this record in 2022.

BAD BUNNY x ROSALÍA - LA NOCHE DE ANOCHE

He also dropped a new studio album, "Un Verano Sin Ti." That summer, he launched his first-ever stadium tour, hitting 29 cities across the US and Latin America. The Apple Music Awards named Ocasio the best artist of 2022.

Wrestling

Bad Bunny has never wanted to limit himself to music and has actively explored other fields. For instance, he's been interested in wrestling since childhood. He's brought wrestlers into his work: for example, Ric Flair, considered the greatest wrestler of all time, appeared in his 2017 music video "Chambea," and Stone Cold Steve Austin joined him two years later for "¿Quién Tu Eres?"

BAD BUNNY - ¿QUIÉN TÚ ERES?

His 2021 world tour was canceled due to the pandemic. With his newfound free time, he jumped into the WWE Royal Rumble show, where he performed one of his tracks. A month later, Ocasio actually wrestled in a match, becoming the 24/7 WWE champion. While it's not the most prestigious title, it was pretty impressive for an amateur wrestler. He later gave up the title, though.

At WrestleMania 37 in April 2021, Bad Bunny participated in a tag team match. In early 2022, he returned to WWE for the men's Royal Rumble and lasted until the final five.

Bad Bunny Watched His WrestleMania Fight Every Night Before Bed

Other Achievements

Bad Bunny has experience in acting. In 2021, he appeared in the action comedy "Bullet Train" starring Brad Pitt and in the Netflix series "Narcos: Mexico".

There were also reports that Bad Bunny would join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, taking on the role of Peter Parker's partner, a wrestler named El Muerto. The release was originally set for January 2024 but later disappeared from the company's premiere schedule. In September 2023, the musician admitted he's no longer involved in the film's production.

Ocasio dedicates a lot of time to charity. When Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2018, the rapper openly criticized the U.S. government's inaction in providing humanitarian aid to the island's affected residents. In his hometown, he organized the distribution of generators, food, and water. He also founded the Good Bunny Foundation, which bought toys for children from low-income families in Puerto Rico.

Bad Bunny also criticized the decision to close schools on the island, earning him a "Humanitarian Award" nomination. In 2019, the musician joined Ricky Martin in protests demanding the resignation of Ricardo Rosselló, then governor of Puerto Rico.

The artist strongly supports LGBT+ rights. In his music videos and photoshoots, he often embraces feminine personas and speaks out against gender violence. Ricky Martin even once called Bad Bunny an "icon of the Latin queer community".

Bad Bunny's Personal Life

In 2017, Benito began dating jewelry designer Gabriela Berlingeri. The two met at a restaurant where Bad Bunny was having lunch with his family. Gabriela was incredibly supportive, even joining him in the studio for his collaboration "Te Guste" with Jennifer Lopez.

Bad Bunny kept his relationship with Gabriela under wraps until 2020. "People don't know how much she was there for me emotionally when I needed it most," he revealed.

It was Berlingeri who photographed Bad Bunny for the Rolling Stone cover. In 2022, the couple started living together and even got a beagle puppy. The relationship ultimately came to an end in late 2022.

Since February 2023, Bad Bunny has been seen getting cozy with model and influencer Kendall Jenner. The pair first went on a double date with Justin and Hailey Bieber, then showed up together at an Oscar after-party. Witnesses say they spotted the model and rapper locking lips at an exclusive LA club.

In early May, the stars made their connection obvious while sitting courtside at a Lakers game. In August, the two were caught passionately kissing during a Drake concert in California. But Bad Bunny has stayed tight-lipped about his love life. "I don't really want to explain anything because I don't owe anyone any explanations," he said.

Bad Bunny Now

In early 2023, Rolling Stone published a list of the 25 most stylish celebrities, including Bad Bunny. He teamed up with Adidas to promote the Forum Low sneakers and even created his own design as a tribute to skateboarders.

In February, he released a music video for "Ojitos Lindos", and a few months later, two tracks - "Where She Goes" and a collaborative hit with Grupo Frontera, "Un x100to".

Bad Bunny ft. Bomba Estéreo - Ojitos Lindos (Video Oficial)

But these new releases dropped right in the middle of major controversy. While on vacation in the Dominican Republic that spring, Bad Bunny got fed up with a pushy fan who kept trying to film him with her phone. The singer grabbed her phone and tossed it. Footage of this incident went viral on social media, sparking widespread criticism of Bad Bunny. But he wasn't backing down:

A person that approaches me to greet me, tell me something or just get to know me, will always receive my attention and respect. Those who come to put a f***ing phone in my face I will consider it for what it is, disrespectful and will treat that person the same way.

In April, Ocasio took the Coachella stage and made history – becoming the first Latin American solo headliner in the festival's entire run. Afterward, he announced 2023 would be his year to focus on physical and mental health, even promising to dial back his social media presence.

In May 2023, the rapper returned to the WWE ring, competing against wrestler Damian Priest.

Bad Bunny at the Coachella Festival in 2023

In July, a collaborative track by Travis Scott, Bad Bunny, and The Weeknd titled "K-POP" was released. By August, the song had surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify.

Bad Bunny Carpool Karaoke

Meanwhile, Benito spent the entire summer grinding on a new album, which he said would drop in fall 2023.

Fun Facts

In 2020, photos of the rapper appeared on the cover of Playboy. He became the second man in history to grace the magazine's cover, after its founder, Hugh Hefner.
Since childhood, Benito dreamed of owning a luxury Lamborghini Urus. Once he started earning enough, he immediately bought the car.