Ramon Luis Ayala Rodriguez, known by his stage name Daddy Yankee, was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where he grew up surrounded by music; his father and several other family members were musicians.  He practiced improvisational singing and recorded for the first time in 1992 as a featured artist in a production called Playero 37.

Daddy Yankee

Reggaeton means the same thing to Latino youth as hip-hop does to African-American kids. We didn't have artists to look up to before. But the young kids now, they're looking at Daddy Yankee and Tego Calderon and Ivy Queen like kids in the American 'hood look up to 50 Cent or 2Pac. I'm representing for my culture and my people. It's their music.

The Early Years

Ramon Luis Ayala Rodriguez, known by his stage name Daddy Yankee, was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where he grew up surrounded by music; his father and several other family members were musicians.  He practiced improvisational singing and recorded for the first time in 1992 as a featured artist in a production called Playero 37.

In 1995, at the age of 18, he independently recorded his first album, No Mercy, which he sold in cassette form at stores and clubs.  He performed for free at high school dances and parties, working to build whatever following he could.  His own tenacity in selling and promoting No Mercy earned him the attention of recording studios, and he took the name, Daddy Yankee.

Recording Years

Daddy Yankee released three more albums, on various labels, the last being VI Records.  In 2002, he released Los Homerun-es, which was a compilation of all of his hits to date, re-released into the US market. His next album, Barrio Fine, in 2003, peaked at #1 on the US Latin charts, and certified platinum in the United States.  He followed the album with an international tour which reached a number of Latin American countries, as well as Spain and the United States.

Mixing reggaeton with other Latin genres, including salsa and Latin rap, Daddy Yankee continued to record, releasing six more albums through 2010.  In 2006, Time Magazine included Daddy Yankee as one of the 100 Most Influential People, due to the sales numbers from Barrio Fino and the number of people his music reached.  Also in 2006, Daddy Yankee won an ALMA Award for Outstanding Male Performer.

What's Next

Mundial, Daddy Yankee's newest album, is due to be released in April of 2010.  In July, 2009, the single, El Ritmo No Perdona (Prente), was released as a “gift for the fans.”  The song peaked at #2 on the US Billboard Latin Rhythm charts.  He  collaborated with other Latin artists, including Ricky Martin and Luis Miguel to record Somos El Mundo, which premiered on March 1, 2010.  The song is the Spanish language version of We Are The World, with proceeds benefit Haitian earthquake victims.

Daddy Yankee toured the United States in 2009, and will tour again upon release of Mundial. His music has available online for mp3 download. His promotional single, El Ritmo No Perdona (Prente), is available via iTunes now, prior to the release of the album.

Did you know . . .

1. Daddy Yankee ranked #1 in 2005 and 2006 for Latin dowload saes, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

2. He has been married to Mireddys González  since he was 17 years old and has three children.

3. In 2005, Daddy Yankee signed a contract with Reebok, and started his own clothing line, called DY.

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