Daddy Yankee, the reggaeton superstar often credited with bringing the genre into the mainstream, is retiring from music to focus on his faith.
The artist announced his plans to dedicate himself to Christianity, and to hang up his professional name in favor of his given one, Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, during the last show of his farewell tour on Sunday night. The final concert of his final tour, called “La Meta” (The Goal), brought a massive crowd of fans to a stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Daddy Yankee is from.
“Family: This day for me, is the most important day in my life.. tonight I recognize and am not ashamed to tell the whole world that Christ lives in me and that I will live for him. This is the end of one chapter and the beginning of a brand new one,” he announced in a post shared Monday on Instagram.
The post’s caption accompanied a video clip of Daddy Yankee sharing his plans to dedicate himself to his religion with retirement. It went on to quote lines from the Bible: “‘For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, if he loses his life? Or how much can a man pay for his life? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father and with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to what he has done.'”
Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP
Daddy Yankee initially announced that he would be retiring in March 2022, when he released his most recent and final album, “Legendaddy.” His career has lasted roughly three decades, with some particularly standout moments being his songs “Gasolina” and “Despacito.”
Luis Fonsi, who performed with Daddy Yankee on Sunday night and famously collaborated with him on “Despacito,” their chart-topping 2017 hit, shared a message praising the mark his fellow artist has left on the industry.
“Last night I had the privilege of accompanying , who changed Latin music forever, in his farewell to the stage. It was very emotional to be there with you @daddy_yankee I owe you a lot bro, a lot! Enjoy this well-deserved break, we will continue to enjoy and celebrate your music ALWAYS,” wrote Fonsi in a post on X, formerly Twitter, which included several photos of him performing on stage with Daddy Yankee during the latter artist’s final show.
“Despacito” earned multiple accolades, including a Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year, and gained global popularity following its debut in 2017 and the subsequent release of a remixed version featuring Justin Bieber. Journalists have pointed to the song’s role in renewing the popularity of Spanish-language music in the United States.
