No stage of Bad Bunny's career, a career that is already historically significant, has been free of controversy. From the beginning, his art has been scrutinized by the public, either for his lyrics or by genre purists for his unconventional approach.
He has managed to emerge unscathed from these objections. However, his career has also faced legal challenges, in which he has not always been victorious, sometimes losing millions.
One of the most recent cases was the conflict between the artist and the music company emPawa Africa. This was due to the unauthorized use of a segment of Joeboy's song "Empty My Pockets" in Bad Bunny's song "Enséñame a bailar" from the album "Un verano sin ti" (2022). In a statement, they stated, "The intention of Rimas Music (Bad Bunny's record label) is clearly to brazenly appropriate the work of young African creators for their own benefit without attribution."
The defense argued that they had authorization from Lakizo Entertainment, which distributed the song globally. After a lengthy legal battle, the African company prolonged the litigation for two years. At the end of 2025, emPawa Africa withdrew the lawsuit, and subsequently, the judge dismissed the case. However, this only changed the direction of the proceedings.
Currently, Bad Bunny's team is seeking a reimbursement of over $400,000 for the legal costs. They argue that the African music company should bear the expenses...
AI Brief
Bad Bunny's career, despite its immense success, has been marked by controversies at every stage. From his early days, his music has been scrutinized for its lyrics, and his innovative approach has challenged genre conventions. While he has often emerged unscathed from these criticisms, his journey has also led to legal battles, sometimes resulting in significant financial losses.
One recent example is the conflict with the music company emPawa Africa. This arose from the unauthorized use of a segment of Joeboy's song "Empty My Pockets" in Bad Bunny's "Enseñame a bailar" from the album "Un verano sin ti" (2022). emPawa Africa stated in a declaration that Rimas Music (Bad Bunny's record label) was "blatantly appropriating the work of young African creators for its own benefit without attribution." The defense argued that they had permission from Lakizo Entertainment, which distributed the song globally. After a two-year legal battle, emPawa Africa withdrew the lawsuit, and the judge subsequently dismissed the case. However, this only shifted the focus of the proceedings. Currently, Bad Bunny's team is seeking a reimbursement of over $400,000 for legal fees, arguing that emPawa Africa should cover these expenses. They claim the lawsuit was "unfounded from the beginning and should never have been filed."
Another notable case stems from Bad Bunny's early days on SoundCloud, where he used the signature "Bad Bunny baby." Years later, he attempted to incorporate this into his music, specifically in "Pa ti" (2017) and "Dos mil 16" from "Un verano sin ti." This triggered a legal dispute with his former partner, Carliz De La Cruz Hernández. Although Bad Bunny's team offered to buy the rights to the phrase days before the album's release, she refused. The album was released with her voice included, and the project marked the beginning of Bad Bunny's international breakthrough. De La Cruz's lawsuit sought $40 million, a stark contrast to the $2,000 offered for her voice before the album's release. According to a legal document reported by BBC, this situation caused De La Cruz to feel "concerned, distressed, intimidated, overwhelmed, and anxious."
In "Safaera," one of Bad Bunny's most important songs, a reggaeton track featuring prominent artists like Jowell & Randy and Ñengo Flow, the profits were not entirely distributed to the composers. Missy Elliott noticed similarities between a segment of the song and her hit "Get Your Freak On." Bad Bunny did not have permission to use Elliott's work and was sued for plagiarism. In the lawsuit, Elliott sought recognition in the credits and a share of the song's profits. The final outcome favored Missy Elliott, leaving Bad Bunny with minimal earnings from one of his biggest hits. In an interview with Molusco TV, Jowell explained that the team behind the hit received almost no royalties. "The thing is, legally, they can't take me out because I wrote it, so they gave me 1%, Randy 1%, and they kept everything else. Even Bad [Bunny] gets like 1%," the artist recounted.
Bad Bunny's early music videos often featured him in the streets of Puerto Rico, frequently accompanied by murals from local neighborhoods. This has led to multiple lawsuits from artists whose works were included in his music videos. In 2014, a group of artists restored a basketball court near a square in Santurce, creating a colorful mural that remained for years. This mural later appeared in the visualizer for "Ser Bichote" from the album "X100pre" (2018). The video shows children playing basketball on the court with the mural in the background. The artists argued that the location was chosen for the aesthetic it brought to the scene. This video is currently not on Bad Bunny's official channel but has been re-uploaded by other accounts.