If you know the term ‘Reggaeton,’ then you’ll know Daddy Yankee.
The proclaimed ‘King of Reggaeton.’
‘Reggaeton’ was coined by Daddy Yankee back in 1994 to describe this emerging Puerto Rican sound. Influenced by Latin-Caribbean music, with hip-hop synthesized sounds, reggae rhythms, and Spanish singing and rapping.
Today it’s a global sensation, and as of 2020, Daddy Yankee net worth is around $40 million.
This article will delve into his life, rise to fame, and how he amassed his fortune.
Contents
Biography
Born February 3, 1977, Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born), known professionally as Daddy Yankee, was raised in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, in the Villa Kennedy Housing Projects neighborhood.
He met his wife when they were children, and they married young at 17, having their first child, a daughter, when still only 17. Ayala (Daddy Yankee) stated it was confusing at first and a challenging experience being a dad so young. They now have three children in total.
Ayala loved Baseball and tried out for the Seattle Mariners but was unfortunately struck by a stray AK-47 bullet in his hip when taking a break from a studio session with DJ Playero. This incident ended his chances of a possible baseball career, and he spent 18 months recovering. Ayala has stated this unfortunate incident allowed him to focus entirely on his music career.
Beginnings of Reggaeton
Throughout the ’90s, Ayala was a big part of the Puerto Rican underground music scene. With the contributions and influence of DJ Playero, they created the beginnings of the ‘Reggaeton’ sound.
In the early 2000s, ‘El Cangri.com’ became Ayala’s first album with international success, receiving coverage in New York City and Miami and exposing the Reggaeton music genre to a larger market.
In 2004 Ayala released Barrio Fino’, a giant hit album selling over 2 million copies. This further cemented Dandy Yankee’s popularity and the world’s exposure and growing love of the Reggaeton genre. The album also contains the song ‘Gasolina’, the first reggaeton song to be nominated for Record of the Year at the Latin Grammy Awards.
In 2007 Ayala released his album ‘El Cartel: The Big Boss,’ which had a more hip-hop sound and many collaborations with U.S. artists such as will. i.am, Fergie and Nicole Scherzinger. The album was promoted through a U.S. and Latin America concert tour.
From 2010 until now, Ayala has released two studio albums, ‘Mundial’ (2010), and ‘Prestige’ (2012), and the long-awaited but not yet released ‘El Disco Dura.’
In 2017 in collaboration with Latin pop singer Luis Fonsi, Ayala released the hit single “Despacito.” It became the first Spanish-language song to hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since “Macarena” in 1996. It was also the second-fastest music video on YouTube to reach a billion views.
General Info about Daddy Yankee:
- Name- Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez
- Artist name- Daddy Yankee
- Date of Birth- February 03, 1977
- Age- 43
- Place of Birth- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Nationality- Puerto Rican
- Height- 5ft 7inches (1.7m)
- Weight- 78kg (172lbs)
- Wife- Mirredys Gonzalez Ayala (Married 1994-Present)
- Children- 3
- Hair Color-Black
- Eye Color- Brown
- Horoscope- Aquarius
- Net Worth- Around $33-40 million
Contributors to Daddy Yankee Net Worth
- Music artist, producer, singer, collaborator
- Tours
- Record label owner
- Brand endorsement
- Media/films/T.V.
Music artist, producer, singer, collaborator
Although Daddy Yankee is a businessman with many hats, the musical artist’s hat is where he makes most of his wealth.
Daddy Yankee is one of the major influences in the music industry. More than 20 million records are sold, including over 11 million albums and over 50 million followers through social media.
Daddy Yankee had an excellent 2017, breaking records with Luis Fonsi’s collaboration on ‘Despacito.’ He became the first Most Listened Artist Globally on Spotify, and ‘Despacito’ was certified as the Most Watched Video in YouTube History. In 2018, he released his Global Smash’ Dura’. Dura reached no.1 on airplay in more than 19 countries, surpassing over 1.3 Billion Views, and has won over 21 Platinum Albums Just in The United States.
Tours
Daddy Yankee has headlined nine tours and co-headlined 1.
The co-headlined ‘The Kingdom Tour’ with artist Don Omar consisted of 9 shows. It made nearly $7 million in box office sales alone.
In his most recent ‘Con Calma Tour,’ he announced shows in his home of Puerto Rico. Due to immense popularity, Yankee had a record-breaking twelve sold-out shows and more than 170,000 tickets, with the U.S. $6 million gross and $14 million in ticket sales. The tour sold out all the shows in just hours. Because of this, Daddy Yankee broke the record for the most consecutive shows in the arena, previously held by Wisin & Yandel with nine.
Record Label Owner
Daddy Yankee owns El Cartel Records, which he founded in 1997 and released all his albums, including other artists. His first commercially successful album in 2004, ‘Barrio Fino’ was released and distributed through El Cartel Records.
Brand Endorsement
Daddy Yankee was the first Latin American artist to sign a deal with Reebok and had his shoes and sporting goods made. He also had an agreement with Pepsi.
Daddy Yankee is also a celebrity sponsor of El Cartel tequila (owner Mike Hamod).
Media, Films, T.V.
Daddy Yankee has worked in the film industry as both an actor and producer. His acting debut was as an extra in the 2004 film Vampiros, directed by Eduardo Ortiz and filmed in Puerto Rico.
Daddy Yankee played the leading role, “Edgar Dinero” in Talento de Barrio, filmed in Puerto Rico and directed by José Iván Santiago.
He has also appeared on television in ‘Days of our Lives and the reality show ‘Hell’s Kitchen.
He appeared on the 2008 Rockstar Games’ video game Grand Theft Auto IV as the D.J. of Radio San Juan Sounds, with Spanglish lines.
Closing Thoughts on Daddy Yankee’s Net Worth
As a musical artist, Daddy Yankee is a global sensation; right now, he is at the top of his game.
He has turned into a global phenomenon by making catchy tunes where language has no barriers and is in a genre. I’m sure Daddy Yankee is just where he wants to be.
The fortune he has made so far is sure to build in the future as he creates more hits and will continue collecting royalties of past hits.
Daddy Yankee’s music won’t be far away wherever there is a party.
Image Courtesy of Isaac Reyes/UMG
