Daddy Yankee retires from reggaeton to devote his life to Christianity
Daddy Yankee performs during his concert "La Meta" at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on Nov. 30, 2023, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Gladys Vega/Getty Images)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Daddy Yankee, the reggaeton superstar known for global hits like "Gasolina" and "Despacito," will devote his life to Christianity in retirement.
The 46-year-old rapper and singer from Puerto Rico made the announcement Sunday night on stage following his final concert in San Juan.
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"This day for me is the most important day of my life, and I want to share it with you because living a life of success is not the same as living a life with purpose," Daddy Yankee told the crowd at his sold-out show at the Coliseo, according to a Spanish translation by the media outlet Remezcla.
"A story is over, and a new story is about to begin; a new beginning. All the tools that were given to me, such as music, social media, platforms, a microphone, everything that Jesus gave me is now for the Kingdom," the performer continued. "Thank you so much Puerto Rico and I hope that you walk with me on this new beginning. I love you, Puerto Rico! We reached the goal."
Daddy Yankee, whose real name is Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, officially announced his plans to retire in 2022. He released his final album, called "Legendaddy," and went on a sold-out La Última Vuelta World Tour. The musician closed out his tour with one last set of shows, called "La Meta," in San Juan.
Daddy Yankee’s retirement from music comes more than three decades after starting a career that put reggaeton, a genre of music from Puerto Rico that fuses hip-hop with Latin American and Caribbean Rhythms, on the world map.
His success, which also includes hits like "Somos de Calle" and "Con Calma," has made him one of the biggest idols in Latin music and a winner of six Latin Grammy Awards.
In 1995, he released his first album, "No Mercy," and reached international stardom a few years later with the iconic "Barrio Fino."
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This story was reported from Cincinnati. The Associated Press contributed.