Bad Bunny was one of many artists to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant on social media after the NBA player died on Sunday in a helicopter crash. Today, the Puerto Rico native further expressed his admiration for the basketball legend with a song titled “6 Rings.” Production is handled by SubeloNeo and Bad Bunny himself.
As Genius contributor Polka_DeLaMusic points out, the track is bookended by a pair of samples from Bryant’s NBA days. The introduction splices together commentary from the guard’s 2006 game against the Toronto Raptors, in which he scored 81 points.
Meanwhile, the outro features a clip from Bryant’s farewell speech after his final NBA game in 2016:
On the song, Bad Bunny reminisces about the first time he saw Bryant play:
Aún recuerdo el primer juego tuyo que presencié
Mil emocione', muchas vece' me pusiste de pie
In English, this translates to:
I still remember the first game of yours that I witnessed
Thousand emotions, many times you had me on my feet
He continues by explaining the song’s title. As Genius contributor Polka_DeLaMusic points out, Bad Bunny says Bryant deserves six rings—five for his NBA championships and another for his marriage to Vanessa Laine Bryant:
Y felicidades, tú también ganaste seis sortija'
Cinco en la NBA y un matrimonio que te dio tus hija'
This translates to:
And congrats, you also win six rings
Five on the NBA and a wife that gave you four daughters
Prior to releasing “6 Rings,” Bad Bunny shared a lengthy Instagram tribute thanking Bryant for serving as an inspiration to him since he was 7 years old.
“I never would have imagined this would hurt so much!” he wrote in Spanish. “I’ve never mentioned it because it doesn’t necessarily have to do with music, but this man has been an inspiration in many aspects for me to be who I am today. RIP GOAT!!! Rest in PEACE!!!!”
To help English-speaking fans understand the song, Genius contributor Asier_Box translated all the lyrics from Spanish to English. Check them out below:
[Intro: Bad Bunny]
…For the night at least, trying for 80
“Did I miss anything while I was gone?”
“Just another one of many”
“Oh, okay”
Kobe Bryant, 28 for 46 from the field
This will be 18 for 20 from the line and an
81 point! For this crowd for number 8, Kobe Bryant!
Yeah, ayy
[Verse: Bad Bunny]
Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing good at respecting the Commandments
And where’s God in these moments?
I know life’s short as a tale
And in a blink of an eye, the wind takes it away
I still remember the first game of yours that I witnessed
Thousand emotions, many times you had me on my feet
You taught me that everything in life it’s done with passion
And to win you need to have heart
You taught us that the number 13 isn’t bad luck
And the failures can make us more strong
Tell whatever you want, for me it’s the best one
Rest in peace with God
And congrats, you also won six rings
Five in the NBA and a marriage that gave you your daughters
Thinking one of them left with you, makes me lose control
But nah, it’s so you don’t play alone in Heaven
More than 81 reasons to admire you
More than five players at the same time to stop you
We were similar in that we made art
Black Mamba forever, heh
We will always remember you, yeah
[Outro: Kobe Bryant]
And from the bottom of my heart, thank you
And uh— what can I say?
Mamba out
Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, Kobe
Listen to the song above, and catch up on all the Spanish lyrics to Bad Bunny’s “6 Rings” on Genius now.
