Apple News In Conversation How Bad Bunny went from bagging groceries to global superstardom
Feb 5, 2026
Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times editor and longtime music journalist, has tracked Bad Bunny’s rise from Puerto Rico to global superstar. She recounts his SoundCloud breakthrough, genre-bending experiments, and his choice to sing in Spanish. She also highlights his cultural pride, political stances, and what headlining the Super Bowl means for Latino visibility.
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Humble Puerto Rican Roots
- Bad Bunny grew up in a small Puerto Rican town with a trucker father and an English-teacher mother, singing in church choir early on.
- He shifted to hip hop and reggaeton as a teen, which set him on an irreversible musical path.
From AV Student To SoundCloud Breakout
- Benito studied audiovisual communications and made his own beats and videos while producing for friends and local performers.
- He uploaded songs to SoundCloud in 2016 and blew up with the single "Diles."
Spanish Language As Global Strength
- Unlike earlier Latin stars who often switched to English, Bad Bunny and peers insisted on rapping in Spanish and still reached global audiences.
- His highly Puerto Rican Spanish and local expressions strengthened cultural pride while appealing worldwide.