62 Facts About Daddy Yankee

Daddy Yankee is known as the "King of Reggaeton" by music critics and fans alike.

Daddy Yankee is often cited as an influence by other Hispanic urban performers.

Daddy Yankee aspired to be a professional baseball player and tried out for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball.

In 2004, Daddy Yankee released his international hit single "Gasolina", which is credited with introducing reggaeton to audiences worldwide, and making the music genre a global phenomenon.

In March 2022, Daddy Yankee announced that he would be retiring from music after the release of his seventh studio album Legendaddy and its supporting tour.

Daddy Yankee received a Puerto Rican Walk of Fame star, special awards by People en Espanol magazine, and the Presencia Latina at Harvard University.

Daddy Yankee was named by CNN as the "Most Influential Hispanic Artist" of 2009, and included in Time 100 in 2006.

Daddy Yankee was born Ramon Luis Ayala Rodriguez in Puerto Rico to his mother Rosa Rodriguez and a Black father, Ramon Ayala.

Daddy Yankee first appeared on the 1994 DJ Playero's Mixtape, Playero 34, with the song "So' Persigueme, No Te Detengas".

In 1997, Daddy Yankee collaborated with the rapper Nas, who was an inspiration for Ayala, in the song "The Profecy", for the album Boricua Guerrero.

Daddy Yankee released two compilation albums with original material: El Cartel and El Cartel II.

In 2000, Daddy Yankee formed an unofficial duo called "Los Cangris" with Nicky Jam and released several successful singles together.

In 2003, Daddy Yankee released a compilation album named Los Homerun-es, which contains his first charted single, five new songs and 12 remakes of DJ Playero's albums songs.

Daddy Yankee had enjoyed salsa music since he was young, and this led him to include music of genres besides reggaeton in the album.

In 2005, Daddy Yankee won several international awards, making him one of the most recognized reggaeton artists within the music industry.

Daddy Yankee's hit single, "Gasolina", received the majority of votes cast for the second edition of Premios Juventud, in which it received eight nominations and won seven awards.

Daddy Yankee made a live presentation during the award ceremony.

Daddy Yankee stated that the album marked a return to his hip-hop roots as opposed to being considered a strictly reggaeton album.

Daddy Yankee performed in Mexico, first in Monterrey, where 10,000 attended the concert, and later at San Luis Potosi coliseum, where the concert sold out, leaving hundreds of fans outside the building.

Daddy Yankee performed in Chile as well, and established a record for attendance in Ecuador.

Daddy Yankee performed in Bolivia, setting another record when 50,000 fans attended his Santa Cruz de la Sierra concert.

Between 2007 and 2008, Daddy Yankee made several guest appearances in famous reggaeton compilation albums including Caribbean Connection, Echo Presenta: Invasion, Mas Flow: Los Benjamins, and 20 Number 1's Now.

Daddy Yankee appeared on the 2008 Rockstar Games' video game Grand Theft Auto IV as the DJ of Radio San Juan Sounds, with spanglish lines.

In July 2008, Daddy Yankee announced that as part of his work, he would produce a cover version of Thalia's song, "Ten Paciencia".

In 2010, Daddy Yankee participated in the song "Somos El Mundo 25 Por Haiti", by providing the rap vocals alongside rapper Pitbull.

Six years after their last collaboration, Daddy Yankee appeared on the duo's remix song "Hipnotizame", with positive acclaim from fans.

On February 25,2013, Daddy Yankee performed in the 2013 Vina del Mar International Song Festival, to a sold-out audience.

Daddy Yankee won the Silver and Golden Torch and the Silver and Golden Seagull recognitions.

In 2013, Daddy Yankee performed on his Prestige World Tour, touring several countries in Europe including, Spain, Germany, France and Italy.

Daddy Yankee has toured in Colombia, Peru, Chile to sold-out audiences.

On October 29,2013, Daddy Yankee released a mixtape entitled "King Daddy", produced by Los de la Nazza, as part the Imperio Nazza Mixtapes series and was released as a digital-format only.

From May 13 to June 22,2014, Daddy Yankee performed on his King Daddy Tour, touring several cities in Europe.

Daddy Yankee has toured in South and North American cities.

Daddy Yankee expressed that all music has something good to give, even urban music.

In early 2018, Daddy Yankee released his first latin trap singles with the song "Hielo", and on the single "Vuelve" on which he collaborated with Bad Bunny.

Daddy Yankee released the 2019 single "Con Calma", a reimagination of Snow's 1992 hit single "Informer".

On March 21,2022, Daddy Yankee announced his seventh and final studio album Legendaddy, which released on March 24, alongside its supporting tour, due to run from August to December.

Daddy Yankee announced that he plans on retiring from music after completing the tour.

Daddy Yankee teamed up with the company to have his own shoes and sporting goods made, which were first distributed on May 23,2006.

Daddy Yankee's acting debut was as an extra in the 2004 film Vampiros, directed by Eduardo Ortiz and filmed in Puerto Rico.

Daddy Yankee created the Fundacion Corazon Guerrero, a charitable organization in Puerto Rico which works with young incarcerated people.

Daddy Yankee has been active with Cruz Roja Puerto Rico in several media campaigns.

In March 2013, Daddy Yankee talked about a new movie production during an interview in Las Vegas.

Daddy Yankee has said that he avoids doing so because such details are the only aspect of his life that are not public and that they are like a "little treasure".

Daddy Yankee stated that his marriage is strong because he and his wife are "friends above anything", and that he has tried to ignore other temptations because "weakness is the reason for the downfall of several artists".

Daddy Yankee met his wife when they were little and at just 17 years old they decided to get married.

Daddy Yankee's first daughter was born when he was seventeen years old, which he described as confusing at first, adding that raising a daughter at that age was a hard experience.

Daddy Yankee has a son, Jeremy, born in 1998, and another daughter, Jesaaelys, born in 1996.

In 2007, Daddy Yankee became the spokesperson of the environmental organization "Yo Limpio a Puerto Rico" founded by Ignacio Barsottelli.

Yo Limpio a Puerto Rico, PepsiCo and Wal-Mart announced a joint effort to promote recycling in Puerto Rico among the general public and schools across the island with the campaign "Tomatelo en Serio, Recicla por Puerto Rico", in which Daddy Yankee became the main spokesperson.

In 2017, Daddy Yankee donated $100,000 to the Food Bank of Puerto Rico after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.

Daddy Yankee presented the HR Derby Champ medallion to Pete Alonso upon his winning the MLB HR Derby on July 8,2019.

Daddy Yankee has been dubbed "King of Reggaeton" by media.

Rachel Grace Almeida from Vice felt Daddy Yankee paved the way with his music to amplify and normalize the "marginalised" Latino identity.

Daddy Yankee commented that Yankee played a vital part in "bringing glamour to the barrio and challenged the mainstream media's portrayal of Hispanic poverty in those neighbourhoods".

Daddy Yankee was highlighted by CNN and Time as one of the most influential Hispanics in the world.

At least some of that success is owed to reggaeton and by extension to Daddy Yankee, its top-selling act.

Daddy Yankee has received several awards and honors, including 10 Guinness World Records and seven Billboard Music Awards.

Daddy Yankee was honored with the Icon Award by Latin American Music Awards, the Industry Leader Award from the Latin Billboard Awards and inducted into its Hall of Fame, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Lo Nuestro Awards from Balvin.

Daddy Yankee is the first Latin act to be the most listened-to artist worldwide, and remains on Top 20 as of April 2020.

Daddy Yankee is the artist with the most number one and most entries on the Billboard Latin Rhythm Airplay.

Daddy Yankee has the most entries on the Latin Pop Airplay and the second most entries on Hot Latin Songs.