Bad Bunny notably sported a cream-white jersey that read “OCASIO” on the back and “64” on the front during his historic Super Bowl halftime performance. Many fans thought the jersey selection was a nod to the star’s full name, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, but it was actually a touching tribute to one Ocasio in particular: Bad Bunny’s late uncle, Cutito.
In a statement in Spanish Bad Bunny explained the significance Cutito had on his life, and why he chose to honor him:
“1964 es la fecha en que nació mi tío Cutito, hermano de mi mamá. Lo poco que conozco de la NFL es gracias a él. Se fue a los 17 años a Estados Unidos a trabajar y nunca volvió a vivir en Puerto Rico, aunque siempre nos visitaba a finales de enero o principios de febrero y se quedaba en casa. Eso era plena postemporada de la NFL, así que siempre veía los juegos con él. Él era un gran fanático de los San Francisco 49ers, equipo cuya casa es el estadio donde fue este Super Bowl 60, en el que me presenté. Mi tío falleció hace dos años, poco tiempo después de que los 49ers perdieran contra Kansas City en el Super Bowl 2024. Yo siempre soñé con llevar a mi tío a un Super Bowl y no pude. Se fue inesperadamente, sin avisar. Así que en mi halftime show del Super Bowl decidí tenerlo en mi camisa: OCASIO, su apellido, el mismo de mi mamá, y su fecha de nacimiento, 64. Le dediqué mi espectáculo antes de comenzar. Estoy seguro de que lo vio, estuvo presente y se sintió orgulloso de su sobrino. Ahora solo falta el día en que los 49ers ganen nuevamente un Super Bowl.”
That statement translates to the following in English:
“1964 is the year my uncle Cutito was born, my mother’s brother. The little I know about the NFL is thanks to him. He left for the United States at 17 to work and never returned to live in Puerto Rico, although he always visited us in late January or early February and stayed at our house. That was right in the middle of the NFL postseason, so I always watched the games with him. He was a huge fan of the San Francisco 49ers, the team whose home stadium is where this Super Bowl 60 took place, the one in which I performed. My uncle passed away two years ago, shortly after the 49ers lost to Kansas City in the 2024 Super Bowl. I always dreamed of taking my uncle to a Super Bowl and I couldn’t. He left unexpectedly, without warning. So during my Super Bowl halftime show, I decided to have him on my shirt: OCASIO, his last name, the same as my mother’s and his birth year, 64. I dedicated my performance to him before it began. I’m sure he saw it, he was present, and he felt proud of his nephew. Now all that’s left is the day the 49ers win another Super Bowl.”
Bad Bunny’s sentimental nod to his uncle is one of the many symbols throughout the performance. The star also made sure to include plenty of cultural touchstones of his Puerto Rican heritage, including references to the island’s sapo concho, a crested toad endemic to Pu.R. that is now critically endangered, and the island’s flag in azul clarito (light blue), which is associated with Puerto Rican independence.
