The Big Boss
Raymond Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1976), better known as Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and actor. He is widely considered as the greatest reggaeton artist of all time, having established the genre as a worldwide phenomenon with his groundbreaking 2004 album Barrio Fino, especially with the hit single "Gasolina", leading to him receiving honorific nicknames such as "The King of Reggaeton" and "The Big Boss".
On March 20, 2022, Daddy Yankee announced that he would retire after the release of Legendaddy and a farewell tour in support of that album.
Discography:
- Studio albums:
- No Mercy (1995)
- El Cangri.com (2002)
- Barrio Fino (2004)
- El Cartel: The Big Boss (2007)
- Talento de Barrio (2008)
- Mundial (2010)
- Prestige (2012)
- Legendaddy (2022)
- Compilation albums:
- El Cartel de Yankee (1997)
- El Cartel II: Los Cangris (2001)
- Los Homerun-es (2003)
- Live albums:
- Ahora le Toca al Cangri! Live (2005)
- Barrio Fino en Directo (2005)
- Mixtapes:
- King Daddy (2013)
Daddy Yankee provides examples of:
- Break Up Song: Many. "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó", "No Me Dejes Solo", "¿Qué Tengo Que Hacer?", "La Rompe Corazones", "Vuelve", etc.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: He was also known as Winchesta 30-30 in his early career and went with an aggressive, fast rapping style.
- Female Empowerment Song: His signature "Gasolina" is this, describing a woman who likes going and hanging out. The chorus line "A ella le gusta la gasolina" is Puerto Rican slang for exactly that.
- Follow in My Footsteps: He was born to a family of musicians and has a brother who's also an urban artist.
- Intercourse with You: His Luis Fonsi collaboration "Despacito" is about sex, which might come as a surprise to listeners who don't speak Spanish. It's a romantic song called "Slowly", and the Justin Bieber remix has had most of the meaning stripped.
- Likes Older Women: His collaboration "Mayor Que Yo" with Luny Tunes (not those), Wisin & Yandel, and Héctor "El Father" has them courting a considerably older, blonde woman with considerable assets, stating that they don't care that she's older than them. She's still fair game.
- Lyrical Tic: In many songs he goes "Da-ddy Yan-KEE!" or, more recently, "D-D-DY!"
- Motor Mouth: Often in his verses and especially in his early work.
- The Movie: His 2008 film Talento de Barrio.
- Multi Lingual Song: His collaboration with N.O.R.E. "Oye Mi Canto", "Gangsta Zone" with Snoop Dogg, and Justin Bieber's Despacito remix feature English lyrics. "Mírame" also contains a few Hindi lyrics from Deevani.
- Non-Appearing Title: The title is never dropped in "King Daddy", "Lovumba", and "Sábado Rebelde", though in the end of "Lovumba" Yankee says "Love and rumba", to which Lovumba is a portmanteau of.
- Older Than He Looks: He's in his mid-to-late 40's but looks much younger.
- One-Word Title: "Gasolina", "Mírame", "Rompe", "Machucando", "Impacto", "Pose", "Descontrol", "Limbo", "Lovumba", "Pasarela", "Vaivén", "Despacito", "Vuelve", "Dura", "Adictiva", etc.
- Passing the Torch: "X Última Vez" (meant to be read "Por Última Vez", literally "For the Last Time" off Legendaddy) can be read as handing the role of "Reigning King of Reggaetón" to Bad Bunny (his collaborator on the track) as much as it is a song about having a last date with a doomed love.
- Sequel Song: His collaboration "Mayor Que Yo" is known for having multiple official sequels/follow-ups. There's "Mayor Que Yo 2" (Wisin & Yandel only), "Mayor Que Yo 3", "Mayor Que Yo (New Generation)", and "Mayor Que Usted". "Noche De Entierro (Nuestro Amor)", is considered a
Spiritual Successor and "Menor Que Yo" by Ivy Queen is seen as an Answer Song. - Title Drop: We hear the title word throughout "Gasolina" and "Despacito".
