P FKN R

Vanessa Díaz is Associate Professor of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies at Loyola Marymount University and the author of Manufacturing Celebrity: Latino Paparazzi and Women Reporters in Hollywood. Petra R. Rivera-Rideau is Associate Professor of American Studies at Wellesley College and the author of Remixing Reggaetón: The Cultural Politics of Race in Puerto Rico and Fitness Fiesta! Selling Latinx Culture Through Zumba, both also published by Duke University Press.

“Impressively researched and engaging, P FKN R is a book that offers a critical reflection of Puerto Rico’s history and culture through one of its main exponents, Bad Bunny. The book uses the figure of Bad Bunny to explore Puerto Rico’s colonial history and present. Diáz and Rivera-Rideau critically examine his takes on race and gender in a way that is not only about the singer’s life and career, but about the recent history of Puerto Rico.”—Jorell Meléndez-Badillo, author of Puerto Rico: A National History "Did somebody say a book about Bad Bunny? And right before his half-time performance at the Super Bowl? Yes please. An examination of Benito and both his performance of politics and his politics as performance. This is the kind of cultural analysis that makes my heart sing. Well anything that has to do with Bad Bunny makes my heart sing."—Traci Thomas, She Reads "An insightful consideration of the rapper’s significance and the many ways art can serve as protest."—Publishers Weekly "Díaz and Rivera-Rideau create an impressive, meticulously researched study of an often-misunderstood artist."—Lisa Henry, Library Journal"The work that Díaz and Rivera-Rideau have put into understanding Benito feels increasingly necessary, especially as his celebrity and political sway continue to balloon. . . . P FKN R emphasizes listening to Bad Bunny as a radical act, connecting us with the centuries-long struggle and ongoing resistance of the Puerto Rican people."—Reanna Cruz, Washington Post"This is the rare academic book you can read without a highlighter."—Marisa Maldonado, Latina Media“In P FKN R, Díaz and Rivera-Rideau enlist Bad Bunny’s art to expose the layered crises facing Puerto Rico and their roots in U.S. colonial rule. Drawing on interviews with artists, producers, and industry insiders, they show how he transforms grief and pride into a sonic archive of resistance. The result is a powerful meditation on the stakes of his artistry, his platform, and the future he dares us to imagine.”—Yarimar Bonilla, author of Non-Sovereign Futures: French Caribbean Politics in the Wake of DIsenchantment

• Introduction. “¿Quién Tú Eres?”: Understanding Bad Bunny and Resistance in Puerto Rico 1 1. Las Cosas Están Empeorando: Puerto Rico in the Era of “Soy Peor” 14 2.¿“Estamos Bien”? Hurricane María and Unnatural Disaster in Puerto Rico 37 3. “El Pueblo No Aguanta Más Injusticia”: Bad Bunny and el Verano Boricua 59 4. “¿Por Qué No Puedo Ser Así?”: Bad Bunny and Gender Politics 80 5. “El Mundo es Mío”: Bad Bunny Beyond el Borinquen 107 6. “Puerto Rico Está Bien Cabrón”: The Party Is the Protest 129 7. Singing in Non-English: Bad Bunny Lost in Translation 156 8. “Nunca Antes Hubo Uno Como Yo”: Bad Bunny, Coachella, and Latino Belonging in the United States 179 9. “Prende una Velita”: Continued Hope, Continued Resistance 200 Conclusion. “Seguimos Aquí” 220 Acknowledgments 231 Notes 235 Discography 285 Bibliography 287 Index 299