Daddy Yankee

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, otherwise known as Daddy Yankee is an internationally recognised reggaeton artist from Puerto Rico. Meaning “powerful man” in his native language, Daddy Yankee is a stage name perfectly suited to the kind of stardom he’s enjoyed throughout his career.

After developing his rhyming skills at the age of 13, Daddy Yankee became part of the underground rap scene in Puerto Rico. Just eight years later, he established his own record label called, El Cartel Records. By 2004, Ramón Rodríguez had emerged from the studio with an album that would become his first mainstream breakthrough: Barrio Fino. Carrying instantly recognisable tracks like ‘Gasolina’, this LP is widely regarded as one of the best full-length reggaeton albums ever released. As a testament to Barrio Fino’s impact on popular culture, TIME Magazine listed Daddy Yankee as one of the world’s Top 100 Most Influential People.

Another of Ramón’s most significant musical milestones is his collaboration with Luis Fonsi on the world-dominating track, ‘Despacito’. Recognised by anyone across the world who’s ever been near a radio, ‘Despacito’ has made history as the most watched video on YouTube. This is no mean feat, considering that today it boasts a staggering 6 billion hits and has topped the charts in nearly 50 different countries, prompting a hugely successful remix with Justin Bieber.

With ‘Despacito’ now becoming the most streamed song in history and Daddy Yankee being crowned the most-streamed artist in 2017, there’s no telling where this exceptional artist will go next: his recent collaborations with Katy Perry, Snow and Pitbull suggest there’s no stopping his astronomical rise.