50 Time November 25, 2019
TAKING THE MIC
BAD BUNNY | 25
By Ricky Martin
When I first saw Bad Bunny perform,
what struck me the most was how—
even before he opened his mouth—he
demanded attention with his larger-than-
life presence. Then, he proceeded to
unleash his undeniable talent onstage and,
game over, I was instantly hooked.
Since then, the unapologetic Puerto
Rican musician and creative genius (real
name: Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio)
has achieved staggering success—the more
than 5.8 billion views on his YouTube
videos don’t lie—thanks to his provocative
lyrics, genre-fusing songs and impactful
collaborations with everyone from Drake
to Diplo. He is a true musician who speaks
the language of the youth, and fans pay
attention.
Benito is also outspoken and unafraid
when it comes to social conscience
and political issues, as seen this past
summer, when he put his tour on pause
to participate in the protests that led to
Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s resignation. I
truly admire his commitment to help bring
awareness to topics affecting not only our
island, but the world. He shows up when
it matters most, and makes sacrifices
for what he believes is right in his heart.
No matter what.
Martin is a Grammy-winning musician FAST FACTS