Photo by Lians Jadan on Unsplash
There have been countless arguments regarding who should be crowned “King of Reggaeton” since the creation of the genre. Many believe that the title rests between Don Omar or Daddy Yankee. However, I believe that the crown clearly belongs to Daddy Yankee.
El artista más escuchado del mundo increíble! Momento histórico en la música, gracias a ustedes familia. Thank you @Spotify I ❤️ Reggaeton pic.twitter.com/d8PRYJCjhl — Daddy Yankee (@daddy_yankee) July 9, 2017
Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, also known as Daddy Yankee, is credited for launching reggaeton world-wide with his 2004 hit, “Gasolina.”
Since then, he has broken multiple music records including becoming the first Latin artist to become Spotify’s No. 1 global artist.
Yankee’s focus on lyrical improvisation and his rapid-fire Spanish rapping make him incredibly unique and successful. Yet, what makes Daddy Yankee the king of reggaeton is not his success but rather his influence in-and-out of the genre.
Despite his success, Yankee remains humble and gives back to the Latinx community. Yankee considers himself the voice of his people and often uses his platform to expand on social issues such as human rights and immigration matters.
Nearly every new generation reggaeton artist has credited Daddy Yankee to have inspired them and has opened doors of opportunities for many people.
Daddy Yankee, a man who came from harsh streets near San Juan, Puerto Rico, heavily shaped reggaeton into what it is today and is a voice for the Latinx community, is the king of reggaeton.
(Originally published in Reggaeton Ambiente.)