According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE, under its Spanish acronym), a “piquete” is either a sharp object, a small wound, or a group of striking workers blocking access to a workplace. It is a word, generally speaking, of conflict and harm.
But when Puerto Rican musician Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – more commonly known as Bad Bunny – intones on his song NUEVAYoL “Tú tiene’ piquete mami, yo también” (“You’ve got piquete mami, and so do I”), he is not talking about trade unions or pointy sticks. He is referring to something else altogether, a way of moving through the world with a certain self confidence, attitude and style.
