Daddy Yankee
The King of Reggaeton who brought reggaeton to the world.
Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and songwriter. Dubbed the 'King of Reggaeton' and 'Godfather of Reggaeton,' he is often cited as an influence by other Hispanic urban performers.
Quick Facts
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Lore & Background
Daddy Yankee aspired to become a professional baseball player, but following a shooting incident, he instead pursued a music career. In 1995, he independently released his debut studio album No Mercy. His follow-up, El Cangri.com (2002), was successful in the United States. His next studio album, Barrio Fino (2004), became the top-selling Latin music album of the decade of the 2000s. Its most successful single 'Gasolina' was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year and has been credited with introducing reggaeton to audiences worldwide. In 2017, he collaborated with Luis Fonsi on 'Despacito,' which became the first Spanish-language song to top the Billboard Hot 100 since 'Macarena' in 1996. Its success led him to become the most-listened artist worldwide on Spotify in June 2017, the first Latin artist to do so. In March 2022, he announced he would be retiring from music after the release of his seventh studio album Legendaddy and its supporting tour. He retired on December 3, 2023, after completing his final stage performance on his 'La Meta' tour in Puerto Rico.
Reader's Guide
Daddy Yankee is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time, having sold over 30 million records worldwide. His accolades include five Latin Grammy Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, 14 Billboard Latin Music Awards, two Latin American Music Awards, eight Lo Nuestro Awards, an MTV Video Music Award, and six ASCAP Awards. He also received a Puerto Rican Walk of Fame star, special awards by People en Español magazine, and the Presencia Latina at Harvard University. He was named by CNN as the 'Most Influential Hispanic Artist' of 2009, and included in Time 100 in 2006.
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