Daddy Yankee at Mohegan Sun Arena

Daddy Yankee broke into the music scene in 1995 with the release of his debut album, No Mercy. His sound is the quintessential reggaeton style that rose from the underground music scene in Puerto Rico. The music was a newer version of reggae where other elements, such as hip-hop, Spanish rapping, and Latin music were added. Daddy Yankee coined the genre “reggaeton.” And with his first and second studio albums, he enjoyed moderate success in the local scene. It wasn’t until the release of his third album in 1994, Barrio Fino, that he exploded into the international scene. His single “Gasolina” put reggaeton on the world map. The song took over the world – charting in 18 countries, including the United States.

Today, Daddy Yankee is one of the top-selling Latin artists, with over 20 million records sold. He has also won 148 awards, including the Latin Grammy Awards and Billboard Music Awards. He is the first Latin artist to peak at number 1 on Spotify, and his hit song “Despacito” with Luis Fonsi was the first Youtube music video to receive five billion views. With the stellar success achieved in his three-decade career, one would not expect Daddy Yankee to retire. However, he announced through an emotional video that The La Última Vuelta World Tour would be his last tour, and Legendaddy would be his last studio album. “This career has been a marathon,” Daddy Yankee said. “I finally see the end goal. Now I’m going to enjoy what you’ve given me. People say I made this genre global, but it is you who gave me the keys to open the doors and make this genre the biggest in the world.”