He adds, “My last name is Hernandez. My father’s name is Pedro Hernandez, and he’s a Puerto Rican pimp. There’s no denying that.” People have criticized Mars for changing his name and for not using Hernandez, claiming that he’s trying to hide the fact that he’s Puerto Rican.
“I never once said I changed my last name to hide the fact that I’m Puerto Rican. Why would I fucking say that? Who are you fooling? And why would anyone say that? That’s so insulting to me, to my family. That’s ridiculous. My dad nicknamed me Bruno since I was 2 years old.”
They’ve even gone as far as calling his music black, but who could blame him if some of his biggest influences were black, such as Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Prince. “When you say ‘black music,’ understand that you are talking about rock, jazz, R&B, reggae, funk, doo-wop, hip-hop, and Motown. Black people created it all. Being Puerto Rican, even salsa music stems back to the Motherland [Africa]. So, in my world, black music means everything. It’s what gives America its swag. I’m a child raised in the ‘90s. Pop music was heavily rooted in R&B from Whitney, Diddy, Dr. Dre, Boyz II Men, Aaliyah, TLC, Babyface, New Edition, Michael, and so much more. As kids, this is what was playing on MTV and the radio. This is what we were dancing to at school functions and BBQs. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for these artists who inspired me.”
There’s no doubt that he’s amazingly diverse and we love him for really embracing his mixed roots and putting all of who he is into his music!
