Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and songwriter Daddy Yankee has decided to retire from music after nearly three decades.
Videos by American Songwriter
Now 45, the “King of Reggaetón,” most known for his 2017 No. 1 “Despacito,” his No. 1 single with Luis Fonsi, said he wasn’t leaving without one more album and tour.
“Today, I’m announcing my retirement from music by giving you my best production and my best concert tour,” said Daddy Yankee, whose real name is Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, in a statement. “I will say goodbye celebrating these 32 years of experience with this new collector’s item, the album Legendaddy. I’m going to give you all the styles that have defined me, in one single album.”
Legendaddy will mark Daddy Yankee’s first studio album since Prestige in 2012. In 2004, Daddy Yankee also had an international hit with “Gasolina” and has released eight albums throughout his career from his 1995 debut No Mercy through the forthcoming Legendaddy.
In a video shared on social media, Daddy Yankee reflected on his career and confirmed his retirement.
“This race, which has been a marathon, finally sees the finish line,” he said. “Now, I am going to enjoy what all of you have given me. People say that I made this genre worldwide, but it was you who gave me the key to open the doors to make it the biggest in the world.”
Daddy Yankee’s La Ultima Vuelta tour is set to kick off Aug. 10, and make stops across the U.S. and South America before concluding in Mexico on Dec. 10.
“I’ll give you all the styles that have defined me on one album,” added Yankee in his video. “‘Legendaddy,’ it’s fight, it’s party, it’s war, it’s romance.”
Photo: ASCAP
