MOTT HAVEN, The Bronx (PIX 11) — Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance is drawing excitement from fans across the city, with New Yorkers flocking to a store in the Bronx to get their hands on merchandise inspired by the artist.
Inside Bronx Native, a store in Mott Haven, excitement over Bad Bunny’s halftime performance is flying off the shelves.
Owner Amaurys Grullon launched “Benito Bowl” merchandise, named after the musician’s birth name, Benito. He said the sweatshirts, T-shirts, hats, and more are so popular that he has to restock them every day.
“We actually created merch around the album first, and we saw how receptive — we saw how much engagement we were getting,” Grullon said. “People love the album. People love Bad Bunny, and then we said, ‘You know what? We got to do some Benito merch too to turn it up and to celebrate this incredible moment.’”
Grullon feels this moment goes beyond Benito Bowl merch. He said it’s about culture, visibility, and pride for his community.
“For us, representation is very important and especially now with everything that’s going on in the world and the U.S., and for us to have a voice, and for us to be able to express ourselves and really be authentic in this space, and at this level is really important,” he said.
As Bad Bunny is set to take the world’s biggest stage Sunday, longtime fan Zoey Arce said it feels personal and long overdue.
“This moment is revolutionary in my eyes,” she said. “It is huge. Growing up in the Bronx, you are surrounded by the culture, but seeing that now the culture is being introduced to people that aren’t familiar, it’s mind-blowing, honestly.”
Grullon hopes this moment paves the way for more Latino artists to be seen and celebrated on major music platforms.
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