‘Despacito’ singer Daddy Yankee gives up music to serve Jesus
Superstar’s connection to reggae runs deep
Published:Thursday | December 7, 2023 | 12:06 AMAnthony Turner/Gleaner Writer
Reggaeton superstar Daddy Yankee has announced that he is retiring from the reggaeton genre to serve Jesus Christ.
The Puerto Rican artiste, born Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, is one of more than 150 defendants named in producer Cleveland ‘Clevie’ Browne and the estate of Wycliffe ‘Steely’ Johnson’s Poco-man copyright lawsuit which was filed in California Central District Court in 2021.
“This day is the most important day of my life. I want to share it with you because living a life of success is not the same as living a life with purpose,” declared Daddy Yankee at the final concert of his farewell tour at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico on December 3.
“That is why tonight, I recognise, and I am not ashamed to tell the whole world that Jesus lives in me and that I will live for him,” he added.
Daddy Yankee’s connection with reggae/dancehall runs deep. In 2019, he teamed with Canadian dancehall artiste Snow on an uptempo, dancehall reggaeton bilingual track titled Con Calma, that pays homage to Snow’s massive ‘90s dancehall hit Informer.
Con Calma has more than three billion views on YouTube. A remixed version of the song, featuring Katie Perry, has more than 100 million YouTube views and was the #1 song on Spotify across all Spanish-speaking countries.
The 46-year-old Yankee, whose net worth 2023 is estimated to be more than US$40 million, also charted with the global hit Despacito, featuring Latin artiste Luis Fonsi. The song topped music charts in 47 countries and was ranked as one of the most successful Spanish-language tracks in pop music history. Fonsi wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “I owe you a lot bro, a lot! Enjoy this well-deserved break, we will continue to enjoy and celebrate your music always.”
An English remix version of Despacito was released featuring pop superstar Justin Bieber. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained in the top slot for 16 consecutive weeks, tying the record as the longest reigning #1 song in the chart’s history.